NSD Sponsor | Lottie Loves Paper

Revealing the third of our National Scrapbooking Day sponsors and prizes...

You can find Lottie Loves Paper here:

Website  Facebook  Facebook Group  YouTube  Instagram

All the details, how-tos and when-bys will be announced on the 6th May on this blog - see you there!

Fine And Dandy | Scrapbook Bex

Hi guys,

So stitching on layouts....it's a bit hit and miss for me. I have to be in the mood and also be well enough to do it. In short, it's a rarity.

If like me you like the look of it but don't have time to achieve the look, you may want to consider cheating.....ssssssh!!

I have used the Pink Paislee Paige Evans roller stamp from the 'Take Me Away' collection to create a cross stitch effect, whilst avoiding a needle and thread!

I hope you will check out my video over on the UK Scrap Addicts YouTube page,

Until next time,
Bex 💕

NSD Sponsor | Craft Consortium

Revealing the second of our National Scrapbooking Day sponsors and prizes...

You can find Craft Consortium here:

Website Blog Facebook Instagram Pinterest 

All the details, how-tos and when-bys will be announced on the 6th May on this blog - see you there!

1, 2, 3 & Pose | Jackie Ashton | Sewing

Hello, Jackie here with my post following the theme for the month - stitching.  For my layout this month I decided to hand-stitch my title.  

I started this layout by using the packaging technique and Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Worn Lipstick to my white cardstock.

For the papers on this layouts I used a selection of papers from Shimelle - Little by Little collection, Maggie Holmes - Chasing Dreams collection, and I wanted the colour of the embroidery cotton to coordinate with the papers.

I used a stitching template by Amy Tangerine.

By hand stitching my title in a variegated yellow thread, as the outline of the letters, and a soft pink for the inside, it made the title stand out more from the page.

I added three clusters around the photographs and adding some embellishments from Shimelle - Little by Little collection as well as some hand cut butterflies from Maggie Holmes - Chasing Dreams collection.

I love how stitching on your layouts can give it a whole new dimension.

Hope you give it a try

NSD Sponsor | Crafty Ribbons

Revealing the first of our National Scrapbooking Day sponsors and prizes...

You can find Crafty Ribbons here:  

website  blog  facebook  instagram  pinterest

All the details, how-tos and when-bys will be announced on the 6th May on this blog - see you there!

Guest Designer | Elizabeth Free

I suppose as the 'leader' of UKSA I really ought to be neutral... but I must confess I have been looking forward to having this scrapper guest for us from the very beginning of the UKSA journey!  Please welcome Elizabeth...

My name is Elizabeth Free and I am a scrap-a-holic from the wonderful town of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. I have been crafting since I was very young, from bead looms to knitting, cross-stitch to embroidery. My love of paper crafting began ten years ago when my younger sister, Caroline (aka TillyandArthur) found a fabulous craft shop in Llandudno where she had recently moved. We both began with card making, banners and memory keepers, but Caroline moved to Scrapbooking some time before me. We both joined the Like For Ever Kit Subscribers community and I have now been scrapbooking for over a year. I incorporate my love of stitching into many of my layouts. Sewing a background is so relaxing, and that is one of the main reasons I do it, since I am a secondary school music teacher (11-18 year olds). Peace and quiet is all I dream of when I am in the middle of a lesson in which ukuleles, glockenspiels, percussion etc. are all being played with gusto!  I am on Instagram as @elizabethsarahdesigns and can be found on Pinterest as Elizabeth Sarah.

For my featured layout, I found a fabulous crocheted doily design on Pinterest, which I printed out and washi-taped to my project. I then used my Sizzix foam mat and paper piercer to pierce the design through my card stock. Once pierced I used bright yellow DMC embroidery floss (three strands only) to stitch my design. 

I wanted to include a photo of my beloved cat, Flora, so I knew that I had to include florals. I stamped and heat embossed my flowers (Vicki Boutin) on watercolour card, coloured them with my Zig Real Color markers and used the matching dies. I also die-cut several butterflies from a pre-prepared ombré watercolour swatch using my Diamond Press dies, embellished with Nuvo Crystal Drops (dandelion yellow). Several Like For Ever goodies also made their way on to the layout, including a jar of flowers (Illustrated Faith ‘She Blooms’ Icons) and several word sentiments (American Crafts ‘Grow’ puffy stickers). 

Resin roses are nearly always included in my layouts. It’s an illness…I can’t help myself!

Thank you so much Elizabeth, your talent with needle and thread never fails to amaze me!  Laura

Build Up To NSD

NSD is coming and we are getting excited!!

National Scrapbooking Day is the first Saturday in May, this year it falls on the 6th.

We've been working away over the last month and will start enticing you over the next few days with our sponsors - oh yes, there will be prizes.  Several!

Cool Treats I Michelle Mills I Sewing

OK, I am going to hold my hands up and confess to you all: this month's theme petrified me! I'm a paper crafter and even though I can thread a needle and I do own a sewing machine I've never used them on paper before. I've been watching and reading all the other posts this month for inspiration and this morning I bit the bullet and cracked out the sewing machine.

I chose a thread that matched one of the dominant colours that I intended to use and on my journalling card along with some coordinating ribbons. I must admit I used double sided tape to hold the ribbon in place while I machine stitched it. I actually really enjoyed the process and the finished look and I will definitely be using stitching on layouts a lot more in the future.

View the process video HERE!

Week 12 - Pocket Pages I Sarah Toward I Sewing

Hi there.  

I'm sharing how I use sewing in my pocket page layouts today, and a little secret.  I don't really use sewing in my layouts, so this was a good challenge to encourage me to try something different.  I am super in awe of all those talented scrappers out there who use sewing on their layouts, especially hand sewing.  I have used a sewing machine before in my pocket page layouts, that's simple and looks neat, but hand sewing, hmmm.  Here's what I did...

I started by making a template on Pages (the word processing software on a Mac), my title cards are always four inches square, so I drew a box and then added the text in a font I liked, then I printed it out.

I cut my template out and stuck it to my title card with a little removable tape runner, the type I use rubs off easily when I finished.

I used a pokey tool I have from an Amy Tangerine hand sewing kit and set to work poking holes, tracing the letters on the template.  As you can see I did quite a lot of holes close together.

I actually skipped over a lot of the holes and did longer stitches.  I think I'd still be stitching now if I'd stuck with the original close together ones.  I'm quite pleased with the end result of the title card, the stitching adds a nice texture to my layout, and you can't see the extra holes as the longer stitches cover them up.  I just used washi-tape to secure the loose threads on the back of the card.  I used some cheap embroidery thread I picked up in the sewing section of my local supermarket.

To tie in the stitching on the rest of the layout I stitched some simple 'X' stitches on a few of the cards, almost looking like I've sewn the photos to the cards.

I really like the texture and dimension that the sewing has added to this weeks layout, I think I'll even use the technique again in a pocket page spread, but I won't poke so many holes.  For my layout I used a mixture of Crate Paper, Chasing Dreams papers, and journaling cards from Allison Pennington's, Tweet collection.  Some ephemera from Becky Higgins Project Life, Project 52, Fresh addition, and washi-tape from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by and supporting us UK scrappy girls, we really appreciate your support.  I'll look forward to sharing some fun with you on National Scrapbooking Day, see you all then.

xoxo

Project Life Natureland | JessClaire Creates | Sewing

Hey guys welcome back, it's Jess here and I am so happy you're joining me here to see how I use sewing on my layouts.

You can check out my process video on the UK Scrap Addicts YouTube channel.

Now, full disclosure, I am not skilled at sewing.  In the least. I was the kid in school who broke the sewing machine needle in half during textiles.  Maybe I'd be better if I tried again now but partly; I doubt it and also, I just don't want to.

However I do like the look of it on layouts, it gives a different texture and is a sweet looking detail.  I didn't want to miss out on that.  I want to try all the things.

So I went for a faux stitching effect.  I practiced it on a 12x12 layout that I scrap-lifted and then using it in this project life spread on a select number of cards.


I haven't seen anyone else use this technique before, I saw a machine stitched layout and thought I could replicate the look.

For this I use a coloured pen (a fine-liner works well) to draw a rough hand drawn border, I tend to go for 2 slightly wobbly lines on each side.  I then go in with a black pen and draw dots spaced out evenly along the lines, and double them where the lines join.  This gives the look that the coloured lines are the threads and the black dots are the holes that the sewing has created.

Thanks for checking out my pocket page using faux stitching.

Don't forget to share your layouts with us over on Instagram.

See you next time
Jess x