Good Friends |Jackie Ashton | Recycled Elements

Hello Crafters, Jackie here with my layout using a product that not necessary a scrapbooking product.

My original plan was to use a recycled envelope, but then I found this greeting cards, so not fully recyclable but something that wasn't intended for a scrapbooking page.  

The layouts is basic, using patterned paper as my base and a 5 inch strip of patterned paper across the middle my page.

The photographs where take on my last girlie holiday in 2017 with my lifelong friends, so I used a summer theme papers, which are nice and bright and represented our holiday in Spain.  But my journalling is about how I have valued our friendship and how lockdown as brought us closer again.

We have not been together for over 18 months, so we are eager awaiting the lockdown restrictions to lifted so that we can get together for a good catch up in person.  But till then we will have to make do with our daily WhatsApp chats and FaceTime sessions.

I used the envelope as well, so I decided to decorate it and add some mini photographs inside.  

I decorated the front of the envelope with some patterned paper, stickers and stamps.

Inside the envelope, I die cut some tags using white cardstock, and added a selection of the photographs taken on our holiday, to both sides.  And also added a little word sticker to each photograph.

Then I decided that I needed a base for my photographs, so I mounted it onto a die cut tag, and adhered to the flap of the envelope.  To keep the envelope closed I added a velour dot that are normally used in sewing.

I added my journalling to the card with a few stickers, and also added one of these velour dots to the card, so that stayed flat on the page as well.

Thank you for stopping by, don’t forget to share your layout over on our Facebook page we would love to see them.

Till Next Time

Happy scrapping

 

Adventures fill your soul | Sam Ball | Recycled Elements

I love nothing better than ‘random’ things on my layouts, so when I saw this months’ theme to use recycled elements, I knew it was right up my street!

Having looked through my stash to find some recycled elements that inspired me, the most random items I could find were a 7” vinyl record and an old Mac keyboard.

 

I desperately wanted to use the record, but I wasn’t feeling it, so I moved on to the keyboard pieces and was fully intending to scrap a photo of a young child with an ABC theme.

I then got distracted by the fabulous Simple Stories Vintage Great Escapes collection, and decided to change the theme and elements completely as I was feeling so inspired!

 

I knew that I had lots of stash that would work with the ‘natural’ feel, so gathered together lots of elements including wooden buttons, hessian fabric, vintage French book paper and an old postcard, a 3D printed frame and even an actual twig, complete with moss!

Using the ‘Wild and Free’ paper from the collection as the base for the layout, it quickly came together. The left hand printed detailing was so pretty that although I toyed with cutting it out and layering it, I ended up clustering and layering on the right hand side, using the recycled elements to balance the busy left hand side.

Fresh off the tree, when I added the twig, my layout suddenly had a tiny spider crawling over it!

 

Even if you haven’t played along this month, why not share what the most random or recycled element you’ve ever used on a layout is? And if you have played along, don’t forget to share your layouts over on our Facebook page, or tag us on Instagram!

Hey Santa | Jackie Ashton | Embossing Folders

 Hi crafter, Jackie here with my layout for this months challenge, using embossing folders.

When I rooted my embossing folders out and dusted them off, I wondered why I hadn’t been using them on my layouts recently, and they are lovely.   I used to love using them, but as trends come and go, this is one that as been put on the back burner, which is such a pity as I love the effect they give to patterned paper.  So having this challenge got me back to thinking about adding them to my layouts more often.

Hey, Santa

To start this layout I went through my embossing folders and selected a few different designs to use.

I used a selection of 6x8 papers and embossed each patterned paper with a different design.

After I had embossed all the papers, including a piece of vellum, I cut them into different lengths and widths, which I laid across the middle of my cardstock overlapping some, and adding some machine stitching over a few to add some extra texture.

I backed my photograph with some patterned papers from the same collection, adding 3D foam to given it some dimension.

Finishing my layout with some wood veneer, word phase stickers and puffy hearts from my stash.  

I love how the embossing folders have given the papers some additional texture without it making the page look overwhelming.  Its definitely a technique that I will be going back to using.

If you have time over the festive season to do some crafting, then please share your layouts over in our Facebook Group, we would love to see them.

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Till next time, 

Keep scrapping,

Stay Safe and enjoy the season the best you can.

 

Let it snow, Ho Ho Ho | Sam Ball | Embossing Folders

I’ll confess, I was ‘late the party’ when it die-cutting machines! 

Even though I’ve been scrapping since 2007, it’s only in the last three years that I’ve had my first Big Shot, and whilst I do have a fair few metal dies, when it comes to embossing folders, I own a huge collection of just four!

 

Knowing this months’ theme was embossing folders, I fully intended to purchase a new one, but with lockdown and Christmas, time simply slipped away! 

After much deliberation, I decided to do a seasonal layout. Using a photo taken only last weekend when we were choosing our Christmas tree, I also knew that one of my four embossing folders was one that creates a cross section of a tree trunk, so at least there was a common theme!

I cut a few in vellum, then used a metallic mousse to highlight their subtle detailing, and create a frosted effect.

Then I backed a cut file from Peartree with vellum to also add to the wintery feel, further backing three of the trees with patterned paper, but keeping the vellum layer to soften the paper designs.

The scallop detail at the base was cut using a Bramble Fox ruler template, and reminds me of a present or package - again a nod to the festive period.

 

Apart from the Bramble Fox perspective, the layout was created using ‘Snow and Cocoa’, a collection by Crate Paper that was manufactured in 2016. Guiltily, I’d hardly used any of it, but I remember loving it so much, I’d bought loads! In fact, when I looked at my Christmas papers, it looks as though I’ve hardly touched any of the festive collections that I’ve bought from the last four years!

 

Perhaps I should make my New Years’ resolution to scrap more, or stop hoarding!

 

Are you a fan of embossing folders? Have you played along with this months’ theme? If you have, don’t forget to share your layouts over on our Facebook page, or tag us on Instagram!

 

Loving This | Large Photographs | Jackie Ashton

 Hi crafters, Jackie here with my layout using a large photograph on your layout.  I love how a large photograph offers an impact to your page.  I often scrap large photographs specially for my travel albums and use them as a page divider, when I documenting a specific area.

So today my layout is using a A4 photograph, which was taken on my iphone and printed at home, so no fancy camera or editing done.

Since lockdown started back in March, my son and I have been having regular walks, we don’t go daily now but we try to go at least a few times a week.  This photographs was taken on one of these walks in some woods near us.

Using a larger photograph limits what other craft supplies you add to your page.

The collection I used for this layout is Pink Fresh Studio - Days of Splendor.

Add caption

I added the photograph to the lefthand side of the page, and added a cluster of embellishments to the bottom righthand side of the photograph.

Keeping the cluster simple, I added a few puffy stickers and die cuts around the cluster.  I also cut out a  die-cut  using a Bramble Fox metal die and patterned papers from this collection, which added as an extra interest to the cluster.

 

I also added a small cluster to the top right side as well.

And on the left side on top of the photograph, I just added a die-cut banner from the collection.

Do you use large photographs on your layouts, if you do please share in our Facebook group, we would love to see them.  If you haven’t scrapped a large photograph why not give it a go.

Thanks for stopping by, 

Till next time

Happy Scrapping

Daydreamer | Sam Ball | Monochrome

When it comes to monochrome, it’s a common belief that it only applies to a colour combination of ‘black and white’! 

In fact, it actually means a single colour and tones of that colour, often made darker or lighter using white or black, and it’s one of my personal favourites!

 

Having looked through my stash, I found some Websters Pages papers that were based on single colour themes – there was one for every month and of course I’d bought them all! August was based around teal and aqua, one of my all-time favourite colourways!

 

The photos were from August 2010, taken on the back of a cruise ship, and ones that I’d never scrapped. I’d paired them with the Websters paper and simply never got round to scrapping them!

 

After pulling together more stash from Crate Paper and Pretty Little Studio, along with some flair and embellishments, the layout came together really quicky!

 

I can’t deny to a little ‘cheat’ in terms of the gold accent, which appears on a couple of the chipboard pieces and more obviously on the background.

It’s one of the fabulous Vicki Boutin pre-done backgrounds, which always seems to help kick start my scrapping, rather than me sitting staring a blank piece of white cardstock!

 

Whilst most of us tend to scrap our most recent photos, it’s always nice to find an older photo or two! Not only does it evoke wonderful memories, but it also reminds us just how much cameras and their photo qualities have evolved.

 

What’s the oldest photo you can remember scrapping? Perhaps, now’s the time to dig some of them out, and maybe even create a monochrome layout using one? Afterall, sepia or black and white photos certainly hide a lesser quality image and will co-ordinate with virtually anything!

 

And if you do take part, don’t forget to share your layouts over on our Facebook page, or tag us on Instagram if you’ve played along this month? It’s a great way to use up old stash whilst enjoying new collections too!

Be You | Karen Moss | Lisa Fonseca Style Page Element

 I was quite excited about this month's theme as I was fortunate to have been to a retreat where Lisa Fonseca was teaching.

I used a 7 x 5 photo of Darcey when she was only about 16 weeks old as I love the quizzical look on her face.

I knew I wanted to make a page with a paper piecing representing my puppy but couldn't find one that looked like a Cockapoo.  I did find a digital stamp that I thought I could adapt and started from there. I drew some fluffy ears, muzzle and added fluff to the paws. 

The next step was to cut out all the template pieces I needed and label them with the colour I wanted to use. 

After cutting the pieces out, I layered them up to make my shape and stitched around the edge, adding details with a black pen.

I used a really old Teressa Colins paper pack to make my page and fortunately this included word stickers, 4 x 3 cards and embellishment stickers which I utalised for this page. 

I really enjoyed making this little 'Darcey' to go on my page and I especially liked how easy it was once I had figured out exactly how to go about it. 

We would love to see your take on a Lisa Fonseca Style Page Element and if you do make one please show us on our Facebook Page or tag us on Instagram.

Check back soon to see what the other UKSA DT have been making.

Karen x

Good Times | Sam Ball | Lisa Fonseca Style Page Element

I can’t deny – I was definitely apprehensive about the theme this month and how I was going to create a layout in the style of Lisa Fonseca.

Whilst she may be best known for oversized characters all cut from paper, a few of her layouts include objects rather than animals, so I decided that this might be the best inspiration for me.

 

My eldest step-daughter Olivia did a years’ travelling in New Zealand with her boyfriend. They toured the country in a red camper van they lovingly called ‘Wilson’, so I decided to scrap one of the many photos she had taken on her travels and make a ‘Wilson’ for the layout.

 

I found a fabric print that included different stylized VW camper vans, then increased in size to suit the layout. This was to be my template. I cut around each template shape, then chose a selection of patterned and plain papers and traced round each, then hand cut them again and ‘put them back together!’ to create a unique Lisa Fonseca inspired camper van.

 

The collection I chose to use was ‘Open Road’ a Crate Paper collection from 2014! The stash I had was actually from a mini-book class that I never finished!

 

After deconstructing the book, I was able to use a folded section, hence the fold down the scenic paper. This was mounted to a strong cardstock, to which I extended the horizon of the paper.

All the embellishments were un-opened, as was the chipboard, so I found plenty of ephemera to co-ordinate, including the vintage ephemera number plates and bottle tops.

 

I had way more fun than I ever imagined I would creating this layout, which took me right out my comfort zone!

 

So, if like me you’re thinking that this months’ challenge isn’t for you, why not give it a go? You might just surprise yourself like I did!

 

And if you do take part, don’t forget to share your layouts over on our Facebook page, or tag us on Instagram if you’ve played along this month? It’s a great way to use up old stash whilst enjoying new collections too!

Panda Ears | Sheena Rowlands | Lisa Fonseca style page element.

 Hi there UK Scrap Addicts, Sheena here again x

For our challenge this month we are all being inspired by a well known European scrapbooker, Lisa Fonseca. If you haven't seen this Ladies work I recommend you check out her quirky style on IG or Pinterest as she create lovely bright pages often featuring animal heads.

For my layout I've been inspired by her animal creations. It did take me a while to decide how I wanted to incorporate animals into my page but I'm happy with the outcome.

Panda Ears.

This was a story I had been wanting to scrap so it is the perfect page to add my hand drawn pandas to. I went on Pinterest looking for panda images & found some I liked. I hand drew them onto white cardstock before colouring them in & cutting them out. It took a few goes till I was happy with them. I added 3 to my page.

I chose mainly papers from Vicki Boutin - Wildflower and Honey and Field Note ranges. I wanted a nature type feel with pops of pink taken from my photograph.

I used lots of layers & die cut frames to hold my photos & title. I also made a paper envelope to hold my journalling cards telling my story.

We would love for you to share with us your layouts over on our Facebook group or tag us on IG if you have played along this month. Our challenges are a great way to try something different  & kick start your mojo x

Till next time x