Choose to Shine | Punches | Sarah Costain

Sarah here today with my layout using punches.

I don't own all that many punches, but for some reason I have about 6 different sized star punches!! So that was my starting point for my layout.

I applied clear gesso to my page which was a night sky scene from a kit by Thompson's Crafts available here. The gesso helps my page withstand any mixed media I throw at it.

I punched out various sized stars from mirror card and the left over trimmings from my photo. I added these on top of a silver texture paste and spray background.

To frame my photo I matted it on more mirror card and added a glitter embossed frame.
I cut apart words from another paper from the kit to create tiny word stickers and quotes.

Some sweet kawaii stickers, nuvo drops and sequins added more sparkle to my page to finish it off.

You can check out the video process over on the UKSA YouTube channel here.

I hope you will dust of those punches and give this challenge a whirl!!

Have a Happy Scrappy day :)

Sarah

ManxyCatCrafts

Adventure Awaits | Sarah Costain | No Cardstock

Sarah here today with my take on the no cardstock challenge.

I love creating mixed media backgrounds so for this challenge I added clear gesso to a seascape patterned paper.  I could then build up layers of paints stamping and pastes on top.

To help my photo stand out from the busy background I used layers of textured material and distressed patterned paper behind it.

I added my title to the side of my photo to draw the eye across the page.

Lots of seashells and nautical elements added to the theme in the photo.

Some splashes of bronze and white ink over the layout tied it all in together.

You can check out the process in more detail over on the UK Scrap Addicts YouTube Channel 

Thanks for joining me today :)

Sarah

ManxyCatCrafts

Sweet Happy You | Sarah Costain | Tic Tac Toe

Sarah her today with my take on this months challenge.
I chose the line Arrows, Circles and Washi Tape, you can watch the process video here.

To create my background I used some Prima 12x12 watercolour paper and acrylic paints from Thompsons Craft Supplies.

Whilst my backgroumd dried I added lots of layers behind my photo using gold dotted tissue and papers from my July Mind the Scrap kit 

I added a scribbled circles to the background using an embossing pen, added gold glitter powder and heat set it.

To add more texture I tucked some torn washi behind my photo and tucked in small ephemera pieces and enamel dots all from the kit.

Some glitter stars, an arrow paperclip and splashes of gold Color Shine added a finishing touch.

Don't forget to check out the video for more details.

Thanks for joining me and have a scrappy day :)

Sarah

Challenge 3 | Winner

It's time to reveal the winner of August's challnege!  We'd like to say a huge thank you to Thompson's Craft for sponsoring us.  The winner, selected by random.org, wins a £30 voucher to spend...

Well done Essie!  Drop Laura an email at ukscrapaddicts@gmail.com and she'll sort out your prize!

Don't forget challenge 4 is up and running - you can find the details here!

Guest Designer | Louise Thompson

Today we welcome the owner of August's sponsor for a guest post...

Louise of Thompson’s Craft Supplies here with this month’s theme, clustering. I am fairly new to scrapbooking, maybe 4 months, and it grew to be a passion as for me, it is an extension of my love for all things mixed media. As such, this was not a term I had heard before so was really excited.

Well, I tell you, this has just revolutionised the way I will scrapbook in the future and I'll tell you why as we go through my creation.

So first of all here is my finished piece:
 

Now let’s talk through the process...

I have been dying for an excuse to crack open the 7 Dots Hazy Days collection and when I hear the theme, I thought this would be perfect. The reason being is that this paper set also comes with stickers and die cut embellishments and tags which I thought would be great to use in the clustering.

I chose out a piece of paper from the range I loved and a photo that matched the colours. I then remembered a really cool piece of packaging I had kept and some hessian which I would use to mat my photo later.

 

    

I then looked for some matching items I could use to make the clusters from the 7 Dots set and my other items. I chose out a piece of Tim Holtz  Kraft Resist paper from the Idea-ology Collection and sprayed with some Lindy’s Gang sprays and also chose some cork ribbon and adhesive die cuts.

These items were then used to make the 2 clusters. They were fairly quick to make and is a great way to use up scraps. I loved how it just helps you prep a large part of a layout and you could make several at a time. It really sped up the overall layout making process and I will use this technique again. 

Kaisermist Shiraz and Distress Ink Vintage Photo were used on the edges to finish the clusters.

Stenciling was added using a Tim Holtz Bubble Stencil and Prima Marketing Modelling Paste. Embossed stamped images were also added using G45 and Tim Holtz stamps. Some of the 7 Dots stickers were added to the inked paper to make the titles and a little leaf stamp was added for a final touch in black ink.

Everything was glued together and stuck down using my favourite Prima 3D gloss gel, perfect for heavier items and uneven surfaces.

Here are some close up shots. I really enjoyed making this project and this vintage/grunge collection. I cannot wait to use it again and try out this technique on more layouts. Hope you enjoy and it helps inspire your own cluster layouts.

Thanks for joining us Louise!  Don't forget UKSA fans have until the end of the month to use the code at Thompson's Crafts!

Light It Up | Pol Prince | Clustering

Hello lovelies! Pol here today with a new layout featuring our new monthly theme - clustering. 

Personally I LOVE clustering on my layouts. Usually you'll find that my pages have three clear clusters on them, but I like to challenge myself, so on this new layout I've spread them out a bit more, although you can still see the three main clusters.

I've used our FREE cut file for August, designed by the talented Nikki Rowland. The cut file gave me the idea of three photos and clusters located with the words 'hello', 'hiya', and 'hey'.

To start with I used this gorgeous watercolour ombre paper from Fancy Pants Hello Sunshine collection, and I cut the file out of black cardstock to really make it 'pop' from the background. My embellishments are all from the Pink Paislee Summer Lights collection, which I cannot get enough of at the moment! The colours are amazing! I used ephemera, regular stickers, chipboard stickers, and I fussy cut some elements out of the cut-apart sheets. The flair buttons are from Cutz2Luv.

I love these funny photos of me and my niece and nephew playing with the drag queen filter on Snapchat! The colours were perfect for the background paper and embellishments too. I used three frames from the Summer Lights ephemera pack, popped them over my photos, and adhered them next to, above, and below the words on  the cut file. I then chose the embellishments I wanted for a cluster next to each photo by playing around with them a bit and seeing what looked best where.

I then had three clear clusters but there were still more things I wanted to add, so I decided to go for a rough 'circle' of embellishments around the page.

I had originally planned to putting my title, the 'Light It Up' die cut piece, in the centre of my page. However, it didn't look right to me so I ended up putting it in the 'circle' to balance out the other larger elements. I tend to repeat shapes a lot on a page, as you can see, the circles and hearts are repeated, along with little stars to make the circle 'flow'. The flairs from Cutz2Luv were a perfect match, and I have to say, my nephew makes a very handsome drag queen!

I had as much fun making this layout as we did taking the photos! Please do join in this months challenge on clustering, and link your new layouts up on our Facebook page. There's a great prize from our sponsors this month - Thompson's Craft Supplies. 

Thompson's Crafts | August Sponsor

Thompson’s Craft Supplies is dedicated to providing the latest papercraft and mixed media supplies, specialising in American brands. We pride ourselves in delivering the highest quality goods at affordable prices.

As well as delivering a high standard of product, the service and personal touch we bring is also incredibly important to us. You can get involved with us and see our projects and be inspired across social media: Facebook Group Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter Blog

Thompson's Craft Supplies are offering all UK Scrap Addicts fans 10% off throughout August with the code uksa10

Thanks for the sponsorship Thompson's!

UKSA Challenge 3 - August

Back with our next monthly challenge and for August the Creative Team challenge you to create a layout, pocket page or travellers notebook spread using 3 or more clusters. The team will be posting their 'cluster' scrapbooking examples throughout the month to give you inspiration.

Once you have finished your creation take a photo (tips here) and post it in the comments of the challenge thread over on the UK Scrap Addicts Facebook Page. You have until midnight on the 31st August to get your entry in.

The prize up for grabs is a £30 voucher to spend at Thompson's Craft Supplies.

Not only have Thompson's offered a prize for one lucky participant, they are also offering 10% off any order placed throughout August with the code uksa10.

Here's the small print:  The winner will be selected by random.org - we encourage crafters with all levels of experience, all creative styles and we do not accept 'my layouts are not good enough'.  Everyone started somewhere, it looks better than you think, we are happy that you are scrapping!  Prize for UK shipping address only.
You may enter up to three times.

We can't wait to see what you all create! Happy Crafting!