Callaloo Soup Designs

New Blog

2008-06-23T11:28:00.003+02:00

When I started this blog last year it was because I felt I needed to separate my scrapbook stuff, from my real life stuff on my original blog. This was mostly because when I started blogging it wasn't about scrapbooking, but about my life in France. Almost a year later I have realised that scrapping and crafting are an integral part of my real life, the two cannot be separated. So I have started afresh, sorta, with Typepad. Please find my new updated blog here

http://francineclouden.typepad.com/callaloo_soup

All content from this blog has been imported over and you can read just the scrapbooking related posts by selecting the Scrapbooking and Paper Crafts Category.

Thank you all for being faithful readers of this little spot. I hope that you will join me over there and update your links and feed readers. The new blog will be a combination of all my interests, so you will also get a peek into other parts of my life!

Cosmo Cricket Showcase

2008-06-20T18:48:00.006+02:00

Cosmo Cricket is having a Design Team Call and I am throwing my hat in the ring! I consider myself a late comer to their products; before the last few months I'd only used their papers once before: on this layout (which was published in 601 Great Scrapbooking Ideas by F&W Books),

and then I used the scraps to make this birthday tag for a friend.

(The papers are from the Wanted Line)

But this year, I have fallen in love with the recent products. I got papers, rub-ons and diecuts from the Cogsmo line in my May DT kit from A Walk Down Memory Lane. I confess these were difficult papers to work with at first because they really scream BOY! Since we don't have kids (yet, according to dh Lucas) , he's the only boy around here so I started with that

But the cogwheel papers made me think of that saying about seeing the wheels in one's head turning, and led to this page about how much I am a thinker and usually lost in my own world

I used some scraps to make this card, the sentiment was cut off from the throw away strip!

I love the circuit board patterned paper as well, and it was perfect for a page about a spam email I got that promised me $500,000. I love to document things like this, they will be fun to look back on!I also used the Tank Diecuts and some blackboard chipboard on this page. Not only am I a confirmed chipboard lover, but I love using raw chipboard, so this stuff is perfect for me!

The Get Happy line plus the blackboard chipboard (which is to die for!) were part of the April kit from Scrapbook Takeout and I so loved the bright funky colours! I used the papers in this minibook about the three kittens we had last year. They've now gone off to new homes (happily) and this album helps us remember how cute they were!

I'm in the middle of working on another minibook using one of the Ruby blackboard chipboard book and the Get Happy line, so be sure to check back soon!

I've really enjoyed working with these products lately, they are a pleasure!

This Week's To-Do

2008-06-18T20:00:00.005+02:00

Tuesday came and went in a blur, so it's a Wednesday To-Do this week! I thought it would be fun to make some layered flowers, I am seeing these pop up all over the place! They are really quick to put together and have a lot of impact!

You will need:

Assorted flower embellishments in various sizes: paper, felt, silk etc.
3D adhesive: pop dots, double sided foam tape etc.
Stickles or glitter glue (optional)
Brads or buttons

Apply stickles or glitter glue to those flowers you want to decorate a bit more

Starting with a large flower layer another kind on top.
Use a 3D dot to add the next level
Keep adding layers until you're happy with the way it looks. Use flowers that are smaller and smaller in diameter as you build.

Finish off with a brad or button center

I think there are infinite variations you can use to build these blooms.

Don't forget to show me your version for a chance at a RAK. You have till next Tuesday night to link it up. Double points if you show me a project you used it on!

It's not too late

2008-06-17T10:01:00.002+02:00

To sign up for the Make Me A Super Scrapper Contest at The Scrapbook Site. The first challenge is already posted and you have until the deadline on Saturday to enter! We have great prize packages as well as the chance to win a Guest DT spot! Go check it out!

It just takes a little focus

2008-06-15T21:12:00.004+02:00

The last few days went by in a blur. Between DT commitments and the contest at My Scrapbook Nook, I've had to keep my head down! But what I've learned is that if I focus (and stay off the computer) I can accomplish a lot. I made these three projects yesterday. They are all variations on the theme "Found"

With my lesson learned in mind I am planning the week ahead. My hope is to try a new craft over the next seven days. Most likely sewing.

Sneaky peeky!

2008-06-12T15:44:00.003+02:00

Just a tease of a couple new items uploaded to my etsy store. This MATADFAM is really helping the creativity flow!!

Get the full picture here and here.

Latest MATADFAM

2008-06-11T10:10:00.005+02:00

I've been creating but not finding time to post. So far I am keeping up, and it feels good!

Challenges at My Scrapbook Nook

DT work for A Walk Down Memory Lane with the June Kit

My attempt at a ribbon flower. I think I might need to work on this some more!

Tuesday To-Do : Important Numbers

2008-06-10T20:19:00.005+02:00

This is an older tutorial that I developed for Self-Addressed last year and uses an invitation size card. If you don't have a ready made card blank, you can make one by cutting a letter sized piece of cardstock in half widthwise.

Supplies

1 blank card
Patterned papers (these are American Crafts)
1 6x6 sheet of matching cardstock
Felt flowers
Alphabet rub-ons
Alphabet rubber stamps
Piece of black cardstock
Notebook paper
Stamping ink
2-piece metal file fastener
Anywhere hole punch and regular hole punch
Sewing machine (optional)

Instructions

Cut 13 pieces of notebook paper measuring 4”x 5&1/4”
Stamp the letters A B on the top right corner of one sheet, B C on the next and so on until you reach the end of the alphabet
Cut a piece of cardstock 4&1/8 ” x 5&3/8” and a piece of patterned paper 4” x 5&1/4”.
Stick the patterned paper to the card stock and then stitch around all four sides (you can also use rub-on, stamped or faux stitching)
Cut out a flower motif from a second piece of patterned paper, ink the edges, and adhere to stitched piece
Cut a third piece of patterned paper (preferably in a lighter shade) measuring 1&1/2”x2” and a piece of black cardstock 1&5/8”x2&1/8”.
Mat the patterned paper with the cardstock and stitch around the sides (you can also use rub-on, stamped or faux stitching)
Use the rub-ons to spell out “important numbers” on this smaller piece
Stick to top right corner of larger piece
Adhere entire piece to front of card
Decorate the lower left corner with felt flowers and brad.
Use the fastener as a template to mark two holes on the inside back cover of the card. Punch holes with anywhere punch
Mark and punch matching holes into the notebook sheets
Use fastener to bind pages into the card. The advantage of this kind of fastener is that it is easy to add more pages in later if you need them!

If you make your own version of this make sure to link me up in the comments by next Monday at midnight to be entered into the goodie draw.

Seeing Red 2

2008-06-07T13:39:00.003+02:00

Another photo I took for the seeing red challenge. I love cherries, don't you? They are the perfect fruit for this time of year: juicy, sweet and refreshing.

I used the same background (Rouge de Garance Scrapbook paper), and played a bit in Photoshop, adding more contrast and colour and also textures.

Contest at The Scrapbook Site!!!

2008-06-06T18:21:00.001+02:00

MAKE ME A SUPER SCRAPPER contest at A Walk Down Memory Lane and The Scrapbook Site

You will be challenged during a 6 week contest at A Walk Down Memory Lane. The grand prize? A Guest Design team spot on our awesome Design team OR a prize package valued at over $100. The 2nd place winner will receive a prize package valued at $50. The 3rd place winner will receive a prize package valued at $25.

In your quest to become a Super Scrapper, we will challenge you each week to show off your best work, using a specific manufacturer's products. You may receive additional instructions such as using a sketch, using a layout recipe, or even scraplifting a layout.

Each week, your layout will be voted on by our message board members. Each vote gains you valuable points. This, along with votes from the Design Team will add up to your final score at the end of the contest. The one with the highest point total will be declared our Super Scrapper of the year!

Requirements:
** You need to be a registered member at the message board located at www.TheScrapbookSite.com
** In order to vote, you must be a registered member at the message board.
** You will find a list of rules and manufacturers to be used at the message board in the contest section.
** If chosen as the Super Scrapper, you will need to sign our DT contract if you choose that prize.
** International designers are welcome to apply, however if chosen, you agree to pay any additional shipping charges of your DT products.

Details:
** The contest will start on Sunday, June 15 and run for 6 weeks.
** We will kick off our contest with an online crop on Saturday, June 14 with challenges, classes and more!
** Points will be given for votes from the message board members, Design Team, and you will even receive points for your participation on the board, layouts uploaded to our gallery, and dollars spent at our store.

You can get more information here

If you have any questions about the contest, please contact lisa@awalkdownmemorylane.net

MATADFAM Days 5 & 6

2008-06-06T17:31:00.003+02:00

Here's a layout I made yesterday for another challenge at My Scrapbook Nook

and a sneak peek of another layout for the ScrapDreamie Blog.

You can see the entire thing here

Seeing Red

2008-06-05T14:01:00.003+02:00

A few days ago I found out about Sara's Seeing Red challenge by way of Artsy Mama. Yesterday while rushing to get out of the house I pulled this ribbon from my purse and it landed next to this lovely blue Rouge de Garance paper. A sign if ever I needed one.

Bambino!!!

2008-06-04T18:49:00.003+02:00

This month I am working with the Bambino line from Daisy D's for ScrapGenie. Here's a little sneak peek of my project which was posted today on the Scrap Dreamie Blog. You can see the entire project there.

And yes, those count for MATADFAM. I actually finished them up yesterday. Did you create today? Don't forget to link me up!

Tuesday To-Do : White Space

2008-06-03T22:24:00.006+02:00

My MATADFAM for today is a layout that will serve as the Tuesday To-Do. A layout with white space. I actually did this for a challenge on My Scrapbook Nook, and thought it would be fun to explain how I made it. I don't have step by step photos, so I hope my explanations will be clear.

White space is also known as negative space, and is that part of a layout that isn't "filled up" with elements. It doesn't need to be white, just empty, but I chose to use white card stock for my background. White space is an effective design element because it allows the eyes to rest, and also helps to emphasize the elements that are there, thus pulling the viewer in.

You will need:

1 photo
12x12 Card stock
Patterned paper
felt or other trim
acrylic paint in two colours
journaling stamp
Phrase stamp
decorative stamp
circle label
letter stickers (small and large)
decorative border punch or scissors
Bubble wrap

1. Paint a roughly square shape in the center of the card stock. This doesn't have to be precise, simple swipe the brush several times across the card stock

2. Brush some of the second colour of paint across a piece of bubble wrap and press into the top left and bottom right corners of the painted square

3. Stick photo approximately in center of painted area

4. Cut a strip of patterned paper about 1.5" wide by 7" long and tear a bit off each end. Use the punch or scissors to make a border along one long side. Add to left, slightly on top of photo

5. Stamp journaling spot to bottom left of photo, slightly on top of the paper strip

6. Add felt trim and circle label as shown

7. Add title with letter stickers

8. Stamp phrase stamp below title, overlapping journaling spot

9. Use decorative stamp to make a photo corner above the top right edge of photo

10. Add journaling and voila!

Don't forget to show me your version of this by next Monday midnight, to be entered into a draw for a goodie! Also link me up with whatever you created today!

Eclectica

2008-06-03T11:50:00.003+02:00

I'm so excited! June kicks off the Summer of Favorites series on Scrapbook Takeout and the kit I designed for June is now live! I had a wonderful time selecting some of my favourite items for the Works and Preserves kits, as well as for the Paper Add-on and exclusive rubber stamps. Some of the items are brand new and others are oldies but goodies. The kit is called Eclectica to mirror my totally randiom scrapbooking style!

Eclectica Works

Eclectica Preserves

Eclectica Paper Add-on

The unmounted rubber stamps are also available as a separate purchase

Visit the website for more details as all the contents of the kit aren't pictured here.

I am hoping we will make this a regular thing because my original list of items was very long, and I have enough fodder for another kit or two!

MATADFAM Day 2

2008-06-02T20:19:00.002+02:00

Another scrapbook page. This time for the Scrapjacked Challenge

What did you create today? Don't forget to link me up!

While I was out

2008-06-02T10:01:00.004+02:00

I did manage to get some pages done while I was traveling. Only three, and a card, which totally do not justify the amount of crap I lugged with me, but a girl has to have a choice right?

Exhibit A - for HMITM #80

Exhibit B - Scraplift Challenge

Exhibit C - Sister Scrap

Exhibit D - Birthday card for Sarah

MATADFAM Day 1

2008-06-01T19:41:00.003+02:00

And we're off! It took me the entire day to get over my inertia, but I did it! Today's project is my page for the latest HMITM Challenge.

What did you start off the month with? Link me up by midnight PST to be entered in the draw.

And if you're looking for some more Make Something Everyday fun, check out the month long challenge at Scrapbook Takeout on the forum. You could win a Purple Cows paper trimmer!

Make a Thing a Day for June!

2008-05-30T20:13:00.003+02:00

Are you ready? I'm getting geared up by tidying up my scrap space which I left in a total wreck. I need to unpack and put away the stuff I took with me, as well as put away some new stuff that arrived while I was gone.

Here's how this will work:

1. Every day I will do a blog post either to talk about my crafty plan for that day, show what I made that day, or what I made the day before. I'll invite you to comment with a link to your project for that day
2. Every Tuesday for the month I will post one of my Tuesday To-Dos, and give everyone until the following Monday night to make and post a link to their version of my project. I'll draw a name to win a goodie each week.
3. Everyone who links me up to a daily project gets thrown into the monthly pool. I'll draw three names at the end of the month for goodie prizes.

And that's about it! I'm hoping this will be a month full of inspiration and craftiness. Remember you can do anything creative this month, be it taking a photo, or making a quilt. It's all about getting into the habit of making creativity part of our daily lives.

So as a pre-challenge, get those scrap spaces, studios and desks in order for Sunday!

Tuesday To-Do - Online Photo Editing

2008-05-13T20:39:00.003+02:00

Have you tried out the new online editor by Photoshop? It's called Photoshop Express and I tested it out about a month ago, but never really needed to keep using it. However it has come in very handy now that I am travelling and have no access to the program on this computer. My initial views are that it is not very intuitive or user friendly, but that if you have some knowledge of photoshop, and/or are willing to play around you can get quite good results. I was able to go from this

to this in a matter of minutes

I lightened the photo slightly, pumped up the saturation, and applied a soft focus filter. Other things you can do: change the white balance, sharpen, crop, rotate, tint, change to black and white and the list goes on. To be able to use the service you need to sign up, and you have 2 Gigs of space free on the site. They have recently added the capability to transfer your photos from Flickr, Facebook, Photobucket and Picasa to work on, and then back again. Or simply upload your photos from your computer and then transfer them over once you're done editing.

Give it a try, it's the perfect solution to photo editing on the road!

Mother's Day Surprise

2008-05-11T21:19:00.003+02:00

I'm really tickled to have two layouts in this new idea book by Lisa Bearnson

But even better, I got an e-mail from Vivian today with a link to a website showing a few of the pages from the book, and one of them is the page I did about my Mum's trip to Paris last summer. I didn't get my copies in time to bring one down with me so this was a good stand in! You can see the page in question here, it's called Stars in her Eyes.

Tool Caddy - Tuesday To-Do

2008-05-06T21:18:00.005+02:00

I bought this cutlery holder to alter for my scrap space.

First I covered up the design with some patterned paper, scraps from a current favourite by Pink Paislee

Then added a piece of KI Memories Lace Cardstock

Followed by the scallopped edge from the Making Memories sheet

Then an arrow tag from Every Jot & Tittle and the word using American Crafts Thickers

The entire project took me less than 30 minutes, including taking the photos. All supplies except the tag came from the store at A Walk Down Memory Lane

Leaving on a jet plane

2008-05-05T18:39:00.003+02:00

I'm headed home (Barbados and Grenada) for a long overdue, much needed break! I get on the plane first thing Thursday morning in Paris, but I actually leave Lyon Wednesday afternoon by train. I will of course be taking some supplies with me, but who knows if I will even take them out of my suitcase. Yeah, I will. I'm obsessed after all, plus I want to do a travel journal while there. I'll be posting to this blog when I can and have something to share, but if you want to see what I am up to while away (i.e. sun, sand and cocktails) check out my regular blog, where I'll post photos and updates.

I am thinking that when I get back to France, in order to get back into my crafting and creating groove, that I will do another month of Make A Thing a Day (also known as MATADFAM) in June. I'm putting this out there now, and inviting you to join in with me. You can make anything, not just scrapbook pages: take a photo, a card, sewing, basically anything crafty/creative counts. Each time you link to a daily project I'll throw your name in the pool, and pick three people to get a goodie package at the end of the month. No idea what will be in there yet, other than some vintage goodies and chocolate. That's already a start though! So keep that in mind, I'll post about it again when I am back on the 27th.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a peek at my travel journal and some other recent projects!!

Spend May in Paris!!

2008-05-01T20:09:00.004+02:00

Well virtually anyway with the May Scrapbook Takeout Kit, Parisian Vintage Chic. Lots of vintage inspired products and some shimmer and shine!! I can't wait to get my hands on this kit!

And there's a subscription special for National Scrapbook Day too!! Some of the items in the kit are maya Road Chipboard, Imaginisce charms, velvet brads, crochet blossoms and flash cards. This will be a joy to work with!!

National Scrapbooking Day and more

2008-04-29T09:44:00.004+02:00

We're having a mega crop for NSD over at The Scrapbook Siite. The DT will be hosting challenges, games and classes, and there will be two Celebrity Chats with Betsy Veldman and Emilie Ahern of Tinkering Ink. Points will be awarded for your participation in the challenges and games, and the grand winner will take away a rolling crop tote worth $79.99!! The amount of points you collect will also determine your discount in the store at A Walk Down Memory Lane!! So go sign up on the message board and come spend your NSD with us.

In other fun news my good friends Paula is giving away a free pass to Debbie Hodge's Scrap Your Events Class which starts this week. This is a quick one, so go tell Paula hi, for a chance at this drawing.

Yesterday the new How Much Is Too Much challenge went up, and Cindy challenged us to use chipboard, felt and ribbon as the main "ingredients" of a page. Here is my take of it.

I also posted a new page to Sister Scrap. Vernell and I each scrapped the two photos shown below. So take a gander over there to see what we came up with!

Some eye candy

2008-04-25T13:33:00.002+02:00

Earth Day Challenge

2008-04-22T10:23:00.002+02:00

Today is Earth Day and to celebrate we are running a challenge over at Scrapbook Takeout.
Reuse something non-traditional on a page or project! We'll be choosing the project with the most creative use of a reused item to win a copy of the Embellish Idea Book by Scrapbook Trends.
All the challenge info can be found here

TGIF - fuh real!!!

2008-04-18T10:09:00.008+02:00

It's been quite a week. I can't believe it's Friday already, seems like just yesterday it was Monday and I was telling Lucy that I needed to plan my week out to stay on top of things. Well, I'm not sure I achieved that but I made it through!

And now I can finally spill the beans I've been holding onto since Tuesday night. I've been invited to join the ScrapGenie/ScrapDreamie Design Team!

Scrap Genie is a UK distributor of Scrapbooking Products, and ScrapDreamie is their inspirational blog. I am so looking forward to getting started on this gig, and can't wait to work with all the other talented designers.

As I collapsed into bed late Wednesday night, totally worn out from working on projects and teaching the minibook class at The Scrapbook Site, I realised that it was a happy tiredness because I so love what I do! And at the risk of sounding way too gushing, I am so thankful to have found this hobby and all the wonderful things and people it has brought into my life.

Speaking of the minialbum, here are a few more views of it. If you'd like to see all the pages, feel free to check my gallery.
And finally, I know it's been a while since I posted a Tuesday To-Do. They will be back next week!

Mid Week Crop

2008-04-16T16:10:00.004+02:00

We're holding a mid week crop at The Scrapbook Site today!!!! We'll be posting challenges and games all day long, as well holding a few online classes. All free! Here's a peek of the class I will post later

And at 7:00 p.m CST the fabulous Marci Lambert will be chatting with us about Hambly. I hear there might even be a giveaway of some sort!

So check it out, register on the forum and come hang out with us!

Weekend Scrappage

2008-04-15T13:33:00.004+02:00

Somehow I managed to sneak in three layouts this weekend. We had a relatively busy day Saturday, helping friends paint their first baby's room; and then having them over for dinner. But Sunday while Lucas relaxed after his winning performance in the Table Tennis Championships, I got scrap happy.

This week's How Much is Too Much

The latest Dare and a scraplift challenge

I finally got my hands on some of the new Pink Paislee stuff! It's all available at A Walk Down Memory Lane. To see more details and read the journaling check here

Another little banner

2008-04-10T16:20:00.004+02:00

I may have found a new addiction. After making the Spring banner, I had the idea to make this Art banner for my scrap space.

I think Create and Inspire won't be far behind. Maybe as a tutorial on the blog?

7 times 7

2008-04-09T13:10:00.003+02:00

This week's How Much is too Much Challenge. I wasn't sure I would make it but I did!

This is Naala. She does this funny combo of a meow and a yawn. sometimes it's a yawn that becomes a meow. She keeps us giggling!

On another note, we have a problem with our phone line, so our internet connection has been spotty. It's on now but can go at any moment. The phone man will be here later to fix it, so with any luck I will be back on track in a few hours. I was able to upload some new items to my etsy store so don't forget to check it out. if you love vintage items you will probably find something you like. Also, what kind of French vintage items would you like to see in the shop? I need more excuses to go back to the flea market. :)

Inspire

2008-04-07T12:30:00.006+02:00

I used up a bunch of scraps to make this little inspiration notebook.

See more details on the DT blog for The Scrapbook Site.

And this month I have the pleasure of being the Guest on Variations Créatives! Here's a sneak peek of my project, you can see all my projects on the DT Blog there.

The theme for the month is to use chalks with Versamark, a technique I haven't used in a while. But once I got going I was happy to discover how effective and enjoyable it was! Thanks to Sandra, Isa and the team for having me!

And finally here are a couple of peeks of some goodies I'll be adding to the etsy store later today. Everything is 20% off until Friday!

Grand Opening Sale!!

2008-04-05T21:01:00.002+02:00

I started my etsy store a few weeks back, but haven't been paying it much attention. So to really get things rolling I am having an opening sale! I have discounted everything in the store by 20%, and each purchase gets a gift! All purchases totalling over $25 will get an additional gift. The sale will run for a week, until Friday April 11th. I plan to add items every day, so keep checking to see if there is anything you need!

Sister Scrap

2008-04-05T11:10:00.002+02:00

My sister Vernell and I just started a new project that we are very excited about. We're both scrapbookers, I started first then she got sucked in (and pulled away from her then passion of beading), and when I lived in the US we would get together to scrap on the weekends. Since we can no longer do that, we've decided to do it virtually! Check out our new blog Sister Scrap and join us as we tell our stories!

Spring Banner

2008-04-04T18:44:00.003+02:00

Here are some photos of the Spring Banner that I taught at Scrapbook Takeout last weekend. Complete instructions are available here

Don't be a hoarder

2008-04-02T10:58:00.003+02:00

This week's How Much Is Too Much challenge encourages you to use up your new stuff before it becomes old! Use 10 new things on a layout. I happily complied and played with some stuff I've been holding onto for 'the right page'

Online Class

2008-03-30T15:14:00.002+02:00

I'll be teaching a short class on Scrapbook Takeout today as part of the crop. It's a Spring banner, a little something to brighten up your scrap space or other part of your home. Here's a sneak peek. The class starts at 1:30 p.m. EST and the supply list is available here. Everyone is welcome to drop by!

The crop is in full swing!!!

2008-03-28T22:18:00.004+01:00

Drop in and say hello! Check out the challenges for a chance at prizes and see how many you can complete to become the Queen of the Crop! This is the prize up for grabs if you are crowned!

Also check out the Crop Specials page on the website. Some great deals to be had!

There's no place like it.

2008-03-28T17:47:00.006+01:00

Home that is. As a person who has lived in seven different countries I certainly can attest to the truth of that statement. So when I saw that Shimelle Laine was doing an online class entitled"There's no place like Home" I had to sign up. (The class started on Monday but you might still be able to sign up and catch up with the first week). I'm really enjoying the way the class is proceeding so far, and the first two prompts inspired me to make this layout.

Close up shots of the details can be seen here

I think I went way out of my comfort zone on this one! For one thing I had vowed never to silhouette a photo (again), but it really seemed to be appropriate here. And I love all the whimsical work I've seen people doing lately, this is the first time that I think I've gotten close with my whimsy. I had a blast doing the page and I absolutely adore it! I love that I stretched myself in new ways and I am hoping that some aspects of the page will show up in my future work.

National Craft Month Crop

2008-03-26T22:14:00.002+01:00

Come celebrate the end of National Craft Month by cropping with us at Scrapbook Takeout.
Challenges to get your mojo going! Fun games! Lots of chit chat and laughing! And of course PRIZES!!!

Win the grand prize of a Fiskars Paper Drill and an assortment of yummy embellishments by completing the most challenges and being crowned "Queen of the Crop". There will also be prizes for each challenge and select games.

If you want to play bingo the words are already posted here, and you need to have your selection in by Friday at 3:00 p.m. EST.

So clear your calendar! Secure a baby sitter! Clean off your desk! Grab some snacks and drinks! and Come crop until you drop!

More details coming so check back here over the next couple days!

Hope you'll come party with us :)

Live Creatively,

Tuesday To-Do - Spring Blossom Mirror

2008-03-25T14:37:00.005+01:00

This is an older project, but it's perfect for this time of year. Just substitute some newer supplies, or dig into your stash for the original papers used. Come on, you know you've been hoarding them!

Spring Blossoms Altered Mirror

Supplies:

Wooden frame mirror (this one is available at Ikea)

Patterned Papers:

Twigs and Soar from Lily Kate Collection by BasicGrey

Acrylic Paint:

Anise

Almond Green

Chipboard Flower border:

Fancy Pants Designs

Paper Flowers:

Prima Marketing

Silk Flowers:

Bazzill Basics Paper

Rhinestones:

Moments Defined

Micro beads:

Queen and Company

Dimensional adhesive:

Glossy Accents, Ranger

Decoupage glue (e.g. Mod Podge)

Gesso

Tools:

Craft Knife and/or sharp scissors

Paintbrushes

Instructions:

Step 1:

Prepare frame by painting with gesso. Allow to dry completely.

Tip: to avoid getting paint on the mirror, protect the edges with low-tack masking tape or painters tape. If any paint does get on mirror, clean immediately with a baby wipe

Step 2:

Paint frame with three coats of Anise paint, allowing each coat to dry completely.

Paint chipboard border with 2 coats of Almond Green, allowing each coat to dry completely.

Step 3:

Using your craft knife/scissors cut out designs from the patterned paper. Measure the mirror to ensure the patterned paper is the right size, and trim any excess.

Step 4.

Using a clean paint brush and the decoupage glue adhere patterned paper to mirror. Once adhered, paint a layer of decoupage over the papers as well as the painted frame. This will act as a fixative as well as give a finished look.Allow to dry.

Step 5.

Stick chipboard border to frame, cutting off any overhang. In the center of each flower shape squeeze a layer of dimensional adhesive, and pour beads in. Allow to dry, preferably overnight. Decorate papers with silk and paper flowers, and rhinestones as shown.

Remember I had some fun news?

2008-03-24T16:09:00.002+01:00

I'm now a How Much is Too Much Girl! This is one of my favourite challenges blogs ever, so I am tickled that they asked me to join the team. Here's my layout for this week's challenge

5 patterned papers, 5 stamps, 5 brads/eyelets, 5 rub-ons and 5 other embellishments.

10 Scrapbooking Tips and Tricks

2008-03-21T20:05:00.003+01:00

I don't claim to be an expert by any means, so take this list with a grain of salt. These are just some tips I've discovered along the way that can be a great help.

1. Alcohol free baby wipes are perfect for cleaning rubber and acrylic stamps
2. Not sure if a stamp is the perfect design for a certain spot? Stamp it first with a solvent ink like StazOn on a piece of plastic and lay over your project in progress to check. Clear inserts or packaging that come with products are handy for this.
3. Glossy Accents by Ranger is also a great adhesive for lumpy stuff and clear elements
4.Older stickers and diecuts that you probably won't use again make great masks. To use the diecuts lightly apply a re-positionable adhesive to the back. Then ink, paint or spray over them
5. Place embellishments in odd numbers like three and five for more visual impact
6. No more e's in your letter sticker pack? Try an upside down 3! I've done this tons of times. In fact I have also changed a lower case g into a y and an h, and an ampersand (&) into an S. It all depends on the font, so take a closer look to see what you can improvise!
7. Try using themed products on unrelated projects. I've used stickers from a wedding sheet on a layout about pizza and another about dinner guests. This way you get more bang for your buck!
8. Punch holes in raw chipboard to make it a more decorative element. The Crop-a-Dile cuts through chipboard like butter!
9.Grab five to seven left out items from your desk and challenge yourself to use them on a quick page. You'll be amazed at what you come up with
10. When all fails, use Thickers!

Some quick updates

2008-03-20T20:32:00.004+01:00

I'm very excited about being featured on the Vintage Indie Blog today. If you came here by way of Vintage Indie, welcome! My canvas tutorial is is part of their What You Make of It Series and I couldn't be more honoured!

I've also finally gone ahead and opened an Etsy Stor e! It's been in the works for a while so I am happy to realise that goal. The store will feature primarily flea market finds, paper goods and sewn items, but you never know what I might decide to add, so keep checking! There's a permanent link over on the left.

And I have another fun bit of news but I'll hold off on that for a while. HoweverI won't go without sharing the latest scrappage

Journaling Challenge on Scrapbook Takeout

See more details here

March Inkling for the Ranger Group

See more details here

It's been a pretty full week so far!

Inspiration!

2008-03-17T23:19:00.003+01:00

The theme for March on ScrapnScrap is Inspiration. One of my favourite things to talk about. I recently pulled together an inspiration corner in my scrap space, consisting of a couple 3M sticky boards that I stick random bits and pieces to, some twine with mini clothespins that I am hanging photos and other images from, and this framed poster that came with Ali E's latest book Life Artist.

As I was trying to decide what to use as an inspiration piece to make a page for my post on the blog, I realised that the poster is constantly inspiring me.
So I drew not just from the design but also from the words. This was a total free flow layout, and boy did it feel good!

This just in!

2008-03-17T09:59:00.002+01:00

I've been asked to join the brand new DesignTeam at The Scrapbook Site and A Walk Down Memory Lane. This is a fun board with lovely people, and Lisa puts together some super cool kits! I'm really looking forward to the next six months there!

Multiples

2008-03-14T11:45:00.003+01:00

I tend to mainly make one photo layouts. Let's face it those come together much more quickly. But lately I've been on a lots-of-small-photos kick. Probably because I haven't printed new photos lately and I am going back through all the random photos that never made it on a project, and trying to pull them together to tell some kind of story. Those coupled with my square punches are making me very happy lately!

Both layouts made with items from the February Studio Calico kit

Tuesday To-Do

2008-03-11T15:12:00.008+01:00

Here are the instructions to make this canvas which I po sted a couple weeks ago

Supplies

Canvas or canvas board

Two colours of Ranger Perfect Pearls (I used Sparkle Yellow and Rust)

Ranger Embossing ink

Ranger clear embossing powder

Image stamp - I used clear acrylic stamps by Alpha Stamps

Rub-ons: 7 Gypsies

Sticker: Daisy D’s

Trim: Prima

Fabric butterfly: from Alpha Stamps fabric collage sheet

Two spray bottles

Paper towels

Stickers and embellishments

Instructions

1. Ink your stamp with embossing ink and randomly stamp image across the canvas.

I did my stamping in a trail across the canvas because of the follow your bliss theme I was going for.

2. Cover with embossing powder and tap off the excess. Because the canvas is textured make sure to really tap it against your table so that it adheres only to the stamped image.

3. Use heat gun to melt embossing powder

4. Mix lighter colour of Perfect Pearls with a little water in a spray bottle

And spray over entire canvas.

Don’t worry about any drips or drabbles, that will only add to the effect J

Let dry entirely. If you’re impatient (like me!) you might want to use your heat gun to speed this process up a bit.

5. Once dry mix second colour of Perfect Pearls and spray over canvas, making sure to concentrate on the areas of the canvas that are still white.

6. At this point you can use a crumpled up piece of paper towel to dab into the wet “ink”. This gives a nice texture to the pattern

7. You can choose to either stop at this point or add another layer of colour.

Once the canvas is dry use a clean paper towel or soft cloth to wipe colour off the embossed image

Now you can decorate the canvas to suit your theme!

Some details:

Let's pretend it's Tuesday

2008-03-05T16:14:00.005+01:00

****I wrote this post on Wednesday and somehow it ended up saved as a draft instead of being published. I must have not had my coffee yet!***

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted a Tuesday To-Do, so I'm getting back into the swing of things with this super simple Spring project. I came up with the idea at christmas when I was working on button trees and other ornaments using styrofoam shapes.

You will need:
An egg shape styrofoam form
silk and paper flowers
Ribbon
Pearl headed pins
Regular straight pins

How To:

First attach the ribbon by forming a loop and using a few regular pins to attach to top of egg. Starting at the top layer silk and paper flowers, first covering the area where you stuck the pins into the ribbon
Continue until the shape is covered.
It's best to begin with the larger flowers and then use smaller ones to fill in the empty spaces

These would be lovely to use as decor for a Spring or Easter themed party!

{21 Days}

2008-03-03T19:28:00.005+01:00

I mentioned on Saturday that Rhonna Farrer is leading an Art Journal Challenge on Two Peas. I finally got started on it today, the weekend just didn't lend itself to starting a new project. The idea behind the challenge is taking 21 days to make or break a habit through the creative process. My goal is to develop a more efficient morning routine, consisting of waking up earlier and spending less time online, among other things. Today I worked on my album cover, title page and the first day based on the Day 1 prompt.

For the first week I am focusing on waking up earlier. I think that will be the hardest part for me. If I get that mastered I'll be half way there. I'm keeping the album fairly simple and not very artsy. Since I want this to be the first thing I work on in the morning, I decided to stick with what I know best, rather than trying new techniques, because I know I would get bogged down and end up spending the whole morning working on it, which will defeat my purpose.

Coincidentally, when I read Zen Habits today, his post was all about how to be more efficient with your online time. It's amazing how the universe just knows exactly what I need to see.

Linkage Love

2008-03-01T11:30:00.002+01:00

In case you're looking for a way to fritter some time away this weekend, here are some things I've come across lately

This blog Design for Mankind which has a newly produced Inspiration e-zine. Here are Issue 1 and Issue 2
Found magazine. They collect random notes found all over the world
Rhonna Farrer is starting up another 21 Day Challenge
Have you heard about the Shutter Sisters?
Baking French bread with Lucy and the Daring Bakers
Free desktop wallpapers from Fifi Mandirac (in French/en francais)
Vintage Indie Spring Swap (for US and Canadian residents only, Deadline to sign up is today!)
Sparkle Power Sew Along

Have a wonderfully creative weekend!

Brown paper packages tied up with string

2008-02-28T18:17:00.003+01:00

Or in this case with ribbon! I love to get creative with gift wrapping, and that coupled with my tendency to hold on to every usable piece of paper that comes into the house often leads to the wrapping being a project in itself!

Here's a recent gift for my friend Lucy.

I used a brown lunch paper sack and tied it up with sheer ribbon, tucking a silk flower in as I tied the ribbon.

Today is our anniversary and this is the package for Lucas.
I used some brown paper that cames in packaging material in a scrapbook kit, and stamped randomly over it, before folding it up and tying with ribbon. I made the tag by stamping on white cardstock and then matting with some patterned paper. All stamps are by Alpha Stamps and the patterned paper is 7 Gypsies

Masculine birthday card

2008-02-27T19:19:00.005+01:00

I love making cards and usually they are flowery and frilly and pretty. It's like my inner girl comes out when I am in a card making mood. But sometimes I am forced to approach cards in a different way. A close friend of Lucas' recently celebrated his birthday, and of course I was expected to make him a card. The usual masculine motifs of hunting, fishing or cars wouldn't do - he doesn't hunt or fish , neither is he crazy about cars, and he would probably think I was weird if I gave him a card like that. So I pulled some masculine colours out of my stash and came up with this.

Granted there is a flower like shape on there but Olivier loved it! The stamped I used on the tag was hand carved by Lucas, I thought that was a nice touch :)

Results!!

2008-02-23T17:19:00.007+01:00

Here are the fruits of my labour from my unplugged day. I got off to a late start. I think the thought of not being able to check e-mail with my coffee kept me lingering in bed! I was also sorta disoriented and not sure where to start so I did did faff about a bit. But once I got going things went swimmingly!

A layout for the Overlooked challenge

More cases for Moo cards

Trying out perfect binding ideas. Collage sheets and stamps are all by Alpha Stamps

A gardening apron. This one I started on Friday and finished today. The ticking, collage fabric and ribbons are from Alpha Stamps. I'll try to get a better photo of it outside tomorrow.

Mind you it wasn't easy, I was constantly drawn to the computer, like a magnet. But once the day was over and I did check in I realised it was all worth it since my fears of missing out were not realised! Everything was still there, waiting for me. I'm hoping that this will help me to be more focuded in the weeks ahead. And I am considering making it a weekly thing. One day, unplugged from it all, to focus, create and recharge.

Disconnected

2008-02-21T23:17:00.003+01:00

A few days ago Rebecca Sower threw out a challenge: spend a day unplugged - no TV, no telephone no internet. I've been struggling lately with lack of focus and being way too distracted by things like TV and Internet so I am taking the plunge and going unplugged tomorrow. I've made a nice list of some projects I want to tackle, so hopefully I won't feel the pull to check my e-mail every five minutes, or check in on numerous message boards to "see what's happening". I know I will definitely miss my flickr fix, I have become so addicted to that place, but a break might be just what I need!

I'm leaving you with a canvas I did yesterday for the Ranger Yahoo group. It uses Perfect Pearls for the background and I did an emboss resist technique with the butterfly stamps (the stamps and the fabric butterfly are both from Alpha Stamps)

Wish me luck and I'll be back over the weekend!

Quick Monday post

2008-02-18T17:46:00.005+01:00

Just a little update on my recent projects. Make a thing a day is going pretty well, though some days I have to do two projects to catch up because I spent the previous day out with friends or taking photos, or lets be honest, just being lazy!

This layout was done for the French blog ScrapNScrap and uses a sketch by Begga Huna

Along with the treat I made for Lucas I also made these cupcakes on Valentine's Day

This little felt clutch was made to hold my Moo calling cards.

And I did this series of mugs based on an idea by Ashley Wren

I'm really enjoying exploring all the different parts of my creativity this month!

Sweets for my Sweet

2008-02-14T14:05:00.006+01:00

I made this treat for my honey today.

I've had the idea for it ever since I got the box back in January, so I was excited to finally get it done! I started out with bread sticks, chocolate and sprinkles.
I melted the chocolate, dipped the sticks in, and then rolled them in the sprinkles.
While waiting for them to dry I decorated the box.

I measured each side or section of the box and cut the paper to suit. Then I sanded the edges of the box. I inked the sanded edges as well as the edges of the patterned paper, then covered the box. Finally I added the ribbon and hanging detail.

Supplies Used:
Empty Secret Keeper Box and chipboard phrase by Urban Lily
Papers by Basic Grey
Ink by Stampin Up!
Grungeboard key by Tim Holtz
misc ribbon and charms

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Tuesday To-Do

2008-02-12T14:18:00.001+01:00

Single Signature Stitched Notebook

This book is based on instructions from Creating Handmade Books by Alisa Golden

Supplies

Two pieces of patterned paper 7&1/2"x 12" for cover (or you can use one piece of double sided patterned paper)
8 to 10 sheets of lined or graph notebook paper for inside pages 7"x 11.5"
String or twine
Large needle
Paper piercer

Instructions

Stick the two pieces of patterned paper together, (blank sides together), and fold in half to form cover

inside cover
outside cover

Fold inside pages in half and nest together

Then nest pages inside of cover

Open out and use one or two clips to clip everything together to keep pages and cover properly lined up for the next step

With inside pages facing up, mark dots in the middle of the fold and 2" above and below middle

Use paper piercer to pierce holes as marked through pages and cover

Thread large needle with string and start the stitch from the outside, in center hole leaving a few inches of string hanging on the outside

On inside pass thread through top hole to outside

Then from outside through lower hole, skipping the middle hole

Then finally through the middle hole to the outside

Tie ends of string in a knot, tying around the long stitch on the outside

Now you can embellish the front and start filling the pages!

Lazy Weekend

2008-02-11T15:21:00.000+01:00

I was still battling the cold over the weekend which really stumped my creativity. On Saturday I considered and rejected various projects and ending up playing with my camera instead. Lucas brought me a lovely bunch of daffodils on Friday, he knows that they always cheer me up. So I played with aperture and depth of field and lighting using the bouquet as my subject.
On Friday and Sunday I did manage to create a bit, playing with some journal ideas. The smaller one I made entirely using the PVA glue perfect binding method (maybe a topic for a future Tuesday To-Do?). The larger one was a ready made journal with a blank cover which I embellished with stamps and stickers.

I hope your weekend was more crafty than mine!

Four to Seven

2008-02-07T21:08:00.001+01:00

My thing a day for the last few days. I actually managed two things yesterday. The notebook is going to be used to keep track on my projects this month. The instructions on how to make it will be next week's Tuesday To-Do. It's a single signature stitched book that you can make in less than half-hour.

Tuesday To-Do (on a Wednesday)

2008-02-06T15:26:00.000+01:00

I've been under the weather the last few days (and so has hubby) so blogging fell by the way side. Here are the instructions to make this card which I posted last week

Supplies

Ranger

Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks and Metallic Mixers

* Cranberry

* Raisin

* Red Pepper

* Gold

* Bronze

Alcohol Ink Applicator

Tim Holtz Distress Inks

· Fired Brick

· Tattered Rose

Black archival ink

Clear Emboss It ink pad

Clear UTEE

Cut & Dry Foam

Other

Glossy paper

Red card form (or red cardstock measuring 8&12 x 5&1/2)

White and black cardstock

Medium or large love themed rubber stamp

Four small love themed image stamps

Sentiment stamp

2” Square punch

Felt heart accent

Instructions

1. Alcohol Ink background

Cut a piece of glossy paper about 8&1/2 x 5&1/2 in size

Load up your alcohol ink applicator with the three inks and the mixatives

Using a dabbing motion apply to glossy paper, twisting the applicator as you go. Make sure to cover at least 2/3 of the paper

Ink up the medium/large stamp with black archival ink and stamp over background

Cut a piece measuring 4&1/8 x 5&3/8 and set aside

2. Cracked Tiles

Using small pieces of Cut & Dry Foam apply Tattered Rose and Fired Brick inks to a piece of white cardstock

Stamp four small images and use punch to punch out the squares

Press the embossing pad onto the squares, covering completely with the ink. Cover with clear UTEE and heat to melt; adding more UTEE until you have 3-4 layers. Set aside to cool

Once cool, bend the pieces back in forth in different directions forming cracks in the UTEE

Stamp sentiment on a scrap piece of inked up white cardstock with Fired Brick ink. Assemble card as shown above.

card detail

Two & Three

2008-02-03T18:30:00.000+01:00

My thing a day for Saturday and Sunday. It's been a slightly crazy weekend, so it's nice I already had these planned to create.

You can get more details here and here

February

2008-02-01T16:30:00.001+01:00

Get ready for Francine's February Make-a-Thing a Day for a month! I arbitrarily decided this morning that I will create something everyday this month and follow in the footseps of people like AliE and Shimelle, both of whom have done this previously. It might be a scrapbook page, or a card, or something sewn in felt. I might even knit, crochet or sew. Some days it might just be a pretty photo I take because that might be all I can manage.

I think my success with keeping up with my Photo-a-Day project went to my head, but luckily I decided to do this during the shortest month of the year, so it seems achievable. And at the end of the month I'll have 29 lovelies to show for it.

Here's today's thing
The card I made to start off Wub Week at Scrapbook Takeout. I'll be hosting a card class every day for a week (so the first week of make a thing a day for a month, henceforth known as MATADFAM or FFMATADFAM is a done deal!)

Complete instructions to make this card can be found here

If you want to throw all caution to the wind and join in with MATADFAM leave a comment and a link to your blog so that I can drop by and nag, uh support you. :)

Inky Fingers

2008-01-31T23:13:00.000+01:00

Here's another Valentine card.
This one uses a variety of inking and stamping techniques and was posted to the Ranger yahoo group for a monthly How-To (called an Inkling). I'll share the instructions here next week. The image stamps are from Alpha Stamps and the sentiment is from Purple Onion for Self-Addressed. Felt heart from the craft store. I do love playing with inking techniques from time to time!

Layout Share

2008-01-30T22:18:00.001+01:00

Just a quick post with some of what I've been up to lately. These two were made with the December Studio Calico kit. I have to say this is one of the few times I am happy with my Christmas layouts!

This one uses the January Studio Calico kit. I got a subscription as a gift from my sister Vernell and boy do I love these kits!

For this one I mixed items from the December and January kits and threw in some stuff from my stash.

And finally this one is what I call a messy desk layout. My desk was piled high with stuff, but I wanted to scrap so bad I didn't want to take the time to clear everything off. So I managed to clear a space to work in and then pulled this together using only what was already out. Sometimes you just have to scratch that itch!

Tuesday To-Do: Altered Clock

2008-01-29T14:15:00.000+01:00

As soon as I saw this stamp at Alpha stamps I knew I had to have it! This is so me, I'm a horrible procrastinator. I'm hoping this project will help me get that under control!

Before

After
Supplies:

Clock (I got mine at the equivalent of a dollar store)
Patterned paper
Queen Rubber stamp
Decorative stamp
Butterfly wings grungeboard
Black ink
Stamping ink in a light and dark shade of the same colour ( I used a sand colour and a darker brown)
White gesso and black acylic paint
Sticker numbers
button

Instructions

1. Very carefully remove the hands from the clock and set aside

2. Find something approximately the same size as the clock face to use as a template, and draw and cut out a circle from the patterned paper (or you can measure the diameter of the clock and use a compass to do this)

3. Find the center of circle and use an anywhere hole punch to punch out a hole (to find the center I dabbed a bit of paint onto the bit sticking out of the clock and gently lay the patterned paper, right side up, over it to mark the back of the paper)

4. Depending on the size of the mechanics you might need to use a pair of small scissors to enlarge the hole

5. Paint face of clock with white gesso and when dry, black acrylic paint. The gesso helps prepare the surface for the paint.

6. While waiting for the paint to dry decorate the patterned paper circle

Use black ink to ink the edges of the circle as well as the hole in the center
Stamp main image in black to left of center
Add number stickers in a jumble at bottom of circle
Use sand ink to ink up the wings
Stamp decorative image on wings with brown ink
Finish off piece and add to clock using a strong glue.

This will now stay in my scrap space to help keep me on track!

Here's another project I made with this stamp.

It's very versatile, it would be great for a calendar and for ATCs, and maybe also to stamp on packages that are being sent out late!

Valentine's, goodies and flowers, oh my!

2008-01-28T12:49:00.000+01:00

Yesterday one of my Valentine's cards was featured on Scrap Scene. They are currently running a Valentine Card a Day up until Feb 14th.
You can check them out to get the step by step instructions for my card, as well as to see all the other cards featured so far. Thank you Angie and Scrap Scene!

In other news, we have a winner of my little RAK. I got our cat Naala to help me out (is this a sign of old age or boredom?). It was harder than I thought, usually she can't leave anything alone, but the day I actually want her to play with something she sits there and ignores it. Subterfuge (in the form of a wine cork) was necessary.

Congrats Nicole! Please send me your address so I can get these goodies in the mail. Thanks to everyone who commented and said Hi or shared ideas!

And finally, look what will be part of the February Scrapbook Takeout Kit! I'm pretty excited that my partners thought my little flowers were worthy of the kit and included them.

I'm working on some new designs and hope to put them in an Etsy store later this week. What do you think, would you buy these for your projects? They are completely handmade from vintage French papers, paper doilies, felt, stitching and a bead center. I have some other fun ideas in mind and will keep you posted (Oh Nicole you will get one in your package!). So, Happy Monday everyone!

A Thank You

2008-01-26T01:50:00.000+01:00

I've been amazed by the traffic to my little space here on the web since being featured on Today's Creative Blog (thanks again Kim!). To show my appreciation I will send a lucky someone a goodie package from France. How does dark French chocolate and flea market goodies sound? Leave a comment in the post telling me Hi, or where you're from, or even what kinds of things you'd like to see on the blog, and I'll pick a name randomly on Monday morning. Happy Weekend to all!

Croppin Fun

2008-01-25T18:54:00.000+01:00

We're cropping over at Scrapbook Takeout tonight (Friday 25th) from 6:00 p.m EST. Join us for laughter, challanges, games and prizes! The Queen of the Crop, the person who completes the most challanges, gets this fabulous prize!

In addition:
*There will be a random drawing for one winner for each challenge
*There will be a special door prize drawing for all newbies and lurkers
*2 door prize drawings for everyone who attends the crop
*Prizes for Bingo, plus some other games (you can enter the Bingo game until 4:00 p.m.)

We always have a rocking good time at these crops, I even stay up till the wee hours to join in the fun (I'm six hours ahead of EST). You can spend all night chatting because your challenge entries don't have to be in till Sunday. See you there!

I love Kit Clubs

2008-01-24T23:16:00.000+01:00

Not only because I get a fully coordinated package of goodies delivered right to my door (well except for when the mailman doesn't actually deliver and I have to go to the PO to get it), but because on Tuesday it finally occurred to me that they are perfect to take to crops. You see, I belong to a group of scrappers here in Lyon, we meet every two weeks, for scrapbooking and laughter. I usually have a hard time deciding what to pack, I'm so used to having all my stuff right there. Invariably I pack too much into my crop bag, which I have to lug all the way across the city on the metro. Sometimes I even ended up taking extra items in a separate tote bag, but regardless I was guaranteed to never have what I wanted and always had to complete projects at home (some of them are still sitting there waiting). Maybe it's the new year, or the new moon, but on Tuesday I stuffed three kits into my bag, added my basic tool kit of adhesive, ruler, craft knife and trimmer some basic stamps and ink and voila, I completed a page that I loved. I'm not sure why this never occurred to me before, it might be because I usually just fondle my kits and "save" them for something special, but this was a real break through for me! The downside of course is that now I want to subscribe to more kits!

8 Principles

2008-01-23T19:06:00.000+01:00

This is one of my favourite things that I have found online. I followed a link from somewhere , (you know how you do) and even though it was a good two years ago, it's still pertinent, it still makes me nod my head in agreement and I still learn something new each time I see it.

8 Irresistible Principles of Fun

I'm thinking they may be great prompts for a minibook too!

Tuesday To-Do

2008-01-22T11:23:00.000+01:00

I shared this step-by-step project on the Ranger Yahoo group last month. Since January isn't yet over there's still time to get it made before you have to start using it!

Supplies

6 or more colours of Tim Holtz Distress ink pads

Ranger Cut & Dry Foam

12 manila envelopes about 6.5” x 3.5” – you can use pre-punched envelopes, or punch your own holes at the sealed end

Seasonal rubber stamps and embellishments

Assorted patterned papers

2 nesting square punches – 1.5” and 2”

Calendar for 2008 printed on white cardstock (available here http://craftysecrets.com/images/pattern%20pics/2008%20calendar.pdf)

Hole Reinforcements

Chipboard, patterned paper, number and letter stickers for cover (optional)

Step 1:

Using a small piece of Cut & Dry Foam, apply one colour of ink all over front and back of

envelope

Step 2

Ink seasonal stamp with same colour ink, and stamp randomly over front and back of envelope, re-inking stamp as necessary

Step 3

Punch out calendar month with smaller punch, and stamp same image lightly on it

Step 4

Punch a piece of coordinated patterned paper with larger punch and use to mat month. Cut another piece of patterned paper 6”x3” and use as a mat on the envelope, remembering to punch a hole through.

Add matted month

Add seasonal embellishments and hole reinforcement

Repeat for the remaining months in the year, varying the colours, stamps and embellishments as necessary to suit the month and season. Now throughout 2008 you can add a wallet sized photo above the month, and tuck mementos from that month into the envelope!

To make a cover for the book, cut a piece of chipboard 6.75” x 3.75” and cover with patterned paper and embellishments as shown below

Other ideas:
1. Feel free to substitute your favourite inks for the ones I used. You can also do away with stamping on the envelope and simply mat with your favourite patterned papers
2. You can highlight family members' birthdays on the calendar and use a photo of them that month

If you create this project I'd love to see it, so please come back and leave me a link!

Sweet Monday E-mail

2008-01-21T18:25:00.000+01:00

I woke up to a lovely e-mail from Kim of Today's Creative Blog, letting me know that I had been selected as the feature for today. Definitely helped to make a groggy Monday morning wake-up easier. Thanks Kim, I am honoured! If you aren't familiar with Kim, she features a new creative blog just about every day. Go check her out and tell her I sent you!

Love is in the air

2008-01-19T08:37:00.000+01:00

I've started working on some Valentine's Day cards. I'm hoping to be better at sending them out than I was with my Christmas cards!

As well as making cards for my own amusement, I'll be teaching a card class from February 1st at Scrapbook Takeout. A card a day for a week! I'd love it if you'd join us!

Chit Chatting Away

2008-01-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

Here are my layouts for the last two Chit Chat Challenges

You can enter the current challenge until next Thursday at midnight. All the details are here. Come join us!

3 little things

2008-01-18T18:23:00.000+01:00

Studio Friday prompt for this week

"What 3 things can you do today to further your goals and dreams?"

I decided to do a quick layout about this.

I already had this page started, with just the photo and the trim, but wasn't sure where to go with it (probably because I don't like this photo of myself!), so the theme was just the jump start I needed. My three things are

Wake up earlier
Spend less time online
Plan better and follow through

Not rocket science but oh so hard to do. For me at least! What three things can you do to get closer to where you want to be?

10 sites that inspire

2008-01-17T21:08:00.000+01:00

I spend probably way too much time online, and in my website and blog hopping I have come across a number of sites that never fail to inspire. Here are 10 of my favourite.

Design*Sponge
Oh Joy!
Tuttifruiti
Funky Finds
Urban Debris Artlog
Sew, Mama Sew
Ace Jet 170
3191
Trash The Dress
Making It Lovely

Are there any sites you visit that set your mind whirling with ideas? Please share!

Been Scrappin'

2008-01-10T17:11:00.000+01:00

A few layouts to share. First the two latest Chit Chat challenges.

As usual all the details can be found on the blog.

And this layout I did for a challenge at My Scrapbook Nook - use the theme Today to scrap an all about me layout.
You can get a closer look in the gallery.

I'm working on plans to shake up this blog starting soon!

In with the new

2008-01-04T19:46:00.000+01:00

A long time ago (in a land far away) I used to take part in Studio Friday, on my other blog. One of my goals for this year is to get back into this weekly sharing of studio peeks. The first topic for 2008 is "Brand New", and so I thought I'd show off this little beauty.
I had been drooling over it since it was released and I couldn't resist any longer. I already used it to make some Christmas gifts and I have many other projects in mind. I love making minibooks, and with this tool I can now make them any size or shape with the exact number of pages to suit my project. I got mine from Alpha Stamps, and I definitely recommend it!

Happy New Year to you

2008-01-03T12:32:00.000+01:00

I am still working out my plans and goals for this year ahead. I have many ideas I want to work on, not just in my scrapbooking career (such as it is!), but I also have ideas for this blog, and for general crafting and creativity. Here are a few things I plan to work on

Cleaning up more frequently, i.e after two or three completed projects, not waiting until the point that I have a 1" square space to work in!
As much as possible execute the ideas I have when I have them, don't wait until 2 months later when I can't remember what I was going for
Share more, especially via this blog. More ideas, more techniques, more how-tos, more general creative thoughts
Doing other craft forms such as sewing, general crafting, knitting....

I am also toying with the idea of doing a number of year long challenges. One, Project 365 is already started, and you can follow along here. Others under consideration:

overlooked
52 Blessings
Paper Adventure 08
The Best Me

I of course want to do them all, but I know that will just lead me down the usual path of being overwhelmed and then doing nothing, so I will attempt to judiciously select one or two to work on. Especially since I have already decided to do the How Much is too Much and Pub Ad Challenges every week.

I'm looking forward to a year full of creativity and I am wishing you the same!

Just a little bit extra

2007-12-29T19:30:00.000+01:00

In the December kit, Scrapbook Takeout sent everyone a gift of this cute planner.
It's just perfect especially since I am trying to be more organised in 2008, and I thought I'd use some of the kit contents and paper from the add-on to pump it up a notch.

On the inside front cover I added a library pocket and tucked in some of the sticky notes that came in the kit. That way I can add notes to myself (or others!) quite easily.

I'm hoping that having such a nice book will help to keep me on track!

I can create again!

2007-12-28T16:15:00.000+01:00

Over the last few days I have slowly cleaned and tidied my little scrap cave. After over a month of creative frenzy it sorely needed it, and so did I, since I had no desire to make anything because of all the clutter.
Now it's so clean I don't want to create for fear of messing it up! But that feeling isn't likely to last long since I have new goodies waiting for me on my desk. From now on I plan to try very hard to clean up after every project. Okay, after every two or three projects, so that it never gets this bad again. Now there's a resolution for 2008!

Handmade Gifts I

2007-12-26T14:32:00.000+01:00

Now that they have been received I can post some of the gifts I made this year. For my father-inlaw I made this canvas, featuring a photo of him and hubby skiing sometime back in the 90's (neither of them are sure of the year).

I used a black 12x12 canvas. The textured edges were done by pressing a rubber stamp (which was carved by dh) into a thick layer of black acrylic paint. Other supplies: BasicGrey papers, Fancy Pants chipboard, Club Scrap stamp and flea market stuff from my stash.

For my mother-in-law I made this mini album with photos from Christmas last year. I used my latest toy, the Bind-it-all to make the book after doing the cover and all the pages. The papers are from three different BasicGrey Christmas lines: Dasher, Fuitcake and Figgy Pudding. I used Hambky rub-ons and transparency on the cover. Flowers are by Prima, and the ribbons are all from my stash.

They both loved the gifts, which was a relief, since I'm never sure how people will react to handmade items. My mother-in-law kept saying how she had completely forgotten what Christmas was like last year, so the album was a great reminder. She must have looked through it three or four times during Christmas Eve dinner!

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-25T14:58:00.000+01:00

From my studio to yours....

Holiday House

2007-12-23T16:19:00.000+01:00

I'm totally in love with this project! I bought this plain wooden "house" at the 2€ store a couple months ago, and as Christmas approached I realised it would be a perfect little project for the mantel. I used different BasicGrey papers from the Dasher, Fruitcake and Figgy Pudding lines, some AC Holiday house embellies, BG chipboard (happy holidays), Prima flowers and glitter star, Crafty Secrets Vintage Christmas stickers, other random bits and pieces from my stash and loads of glitter! The snow on the roof is batting, and the smoke from the chimney is a chipboard swirl. You can see more views of the house in my Two Peas Gallery

And here is a not so Christmasy tree!
When I saw I didn't have enough buttons to finish the tree, I added the tulle trim at the bottom; and after topping it with the tulle bow, I realised it looks more suitable as a centrepiece for a wedding! This tree is based on the ones made by Tia Bennet which was posted a year ago in the Creating Garden on Two Peas.

Alcohol Ink ornament

2007-12-21T23:03:00.000+01:00

I forgot to post this one before! I poured in some glitter, followed by a few drops of alcohol ink and blending solution (both by Ranger) and swirled the mix around until the entire inside was covered. Simple and lovely!

Holiday Craft Carnival

2007-12-21T17:13:00.000+01:00

The Craft Critique blog has been having a Holiday Carnival for the last three days. Lots of links to dozens and dozens of inspiring holiday projects and ideas. So if you're looking for a bit of last minute motivation go check them out!

Flat ornament

2007-12-21T12:09:00.000+01:00

This one is made using one of the ornament stickers from the BasicGrey Figgy Pudding line. I peeled the sticker of the backing sheet and placed it sticky side down in a tray full with glitter. Once the back was completely covered I used liquid glue to outline the edges and designs on the front. (I used the re-inker for my glue stamp pad but I think any liquid glue that dries clear will work). Then I added the glitter star (from Prima) and sealed front and back with a fixative spray.

Journaling Christmas

2007-12-20T11:15:00.000+01:00

I did this last year, and I decided to do it again this year. I cut up a bunch of paper into 6x6 pieces for the pages, and made the cover from a Hambly transparency.

Right now I am trying to get caught up to today's date! Are you journaling your Holidays? Link me up!

And we have a winner for the ornament giveaway,

Mika said...

Hai, I'm to late but you can check out my blog for some ideas for your tree. I made some cards for in the tree, hope to see you at
http://www.mikascrap.typepad.com/
Have a great day Mika

Well Mika you weren't too late! Send me your address to scraphappyfran "at" yahoo.com so I can get your goodie in the mail!

Glittery reindeer

2007-12-16T12:48:00.000+01:00

More fun with felt and glitter.

I'm extending the deadline for the giveaway till tonight!

Ornament Giveaway

2007-12-15T00:27:00.000+01:00

Our tree is up and it's pretty, but I think it needs more stuff! So I'm looking for some ideas to make over the next few days. Link me up in the comments to projects you have done, or are thinking of doing, and I will choose someone to send a little RAK of one of my handmade ornaments. You have till Saturday night midnight!

All that glitters

2007-12-14T15:13:00.000+01:00

This week's Chit Chat Challenge calls for seven bling elements. Just perfect since I had all my sparkly supplies out for making Christmas projects.

Get more details and join in here.

Check back later for a holiday giveaway!

More feathered ornaments

2007-12-13T17:04:00.000+01:00

On these three I added some silver and gold tiny die cuts inside the ball, and then applied rub-ons to the glass. When I bought these I planned to take the feathers off, but I really like how they look, so they stayed on! The photos aren't the best because of reflections from the lights. Sorry!

I challenge you

2007-12-13T08:54:00.000+01:00

A couple challenges if you're looking for inspiration!

The latest Chit Chat Challenge. Hurry, it's due tonight!

Global Perspectives December challenge: How do you celebrate?

Be back later with some more Christmas projects!

So much inspiration

2007-12-11T22:56:00.000+01:00

Last Thursday night we were walking through Lyon enjoying the lights for the annual light festival, and I came upon the store of my dreams! I guess it is some kind of home decor store, but the entire place looked like a Christmas dream! I didn't even go in (Lucas wasn't in agreement, I wonder why?) but I was enthralled. Take a peek.

Of course I plan to make a visit there this week to get a closer look!

Another thing that is inspiring me lately? The latest issue of Marie Claire Idees. So many wonderful projects I want to try! So little time to get them done!

Christmas Crafting III

2007-12-10T17:54:00.000+01:00

Just a couple more cards for the moment. I was away all weekend with no chance to create anything sadly. I did these cards last week. I saw an idea from Martha Stewart, using leaf stamps to create a paper poinsettia, and just had to try it because poinsettias really mean Christmas to me. Back home everyone grows them in their gardens and when they start turning red you know Christmas is in the air.
On this one I stamped the leaf seven times and embossed with gold embossing powder, then cut them out and formed the flower. I punched a 1&1/2" circle and used that as a base to stick the "petals" on. I used a chip topper sticker from Bazzill for the center.

On the second card I used a smaller leaf and stamped with a glue pad, then dusted on red glitter, and cut out the shapes. I then layered a Prima flower and rhinestone brad in the center.

Since the Christmas tree was in the stand but not yet decorated I figured it would make the perfect backdrop for photographing the cards!

Easy ornament

2007-12-06T17:23:00.000+01:00

I bought several of these glass balls to alter additionally: I'm planning to open them up and put glitter and/or beads on the inside, or colour them with alcohol inks etc., but at the same store I came across a sheet of electrostatic "stickers" that are meant for windows and thought "aha!". So my first project was to simply stick this glitter star on, add the ribbon and hang. Mine came with the feather attached, you can easily get feathers at the craft store and add them with a hot glue gun or other strong glue.

Christmas Crafting I

2007-12-04T19:34:00.000+01:00

It's full steam ahead now! I plan to post one type of Christmas related craft or another leading up to the 25th. I'll also be doing a couple giveaways between now and the 15th (to ensure that goodies arrive in time) so stick around, it's gonna be fun! For today here is my latest batch of cards using collage sheets from Alpha Stamps and BasicGrey papers.

Catching Up

2007-11-30T12:37:00.000+01:00

I've been under the weather for the last week or so, as well as working on a couple projects that I can't post online (due to the magazines' "never-before-seen" submission rules) hence my lack of posting. But today I can share the last two layouts I did for the Chit Chat Challenge blog. This one was for last week's challenge about family moments.

This is a photo of my sister Vernell and I and two of our cousins, taken back in 1985 (I think).

The second one is for the current challenge which was posted today.

Hope you'll join in this week! If my day goes as planned I will be back with another project to share later.