Scrapping Easter...

I love scrapping holidays at totally weird time of the year. Like scrapping Christmas layouts in the middle of the summer etc. In fact I very rarely tend to scrap an occasion just after it's happened. A good example is this Easter layout...

Like, why not scrap Easter in July? :) These are some photos that my parents sent me at Easter from Sweden. My dad, sister and two nieces at my parents' "summer" house. And I really loved scrapping with these bright fun Sassafras supplies :)

Those button flowers by Sassafras are quickly becoming a favourite of mine!

Birthday card...

No it's not my birthday today LOL! Nor anyone else's either for that matter...or at least no-one that I know. But I love making cards and having a few "in stock" as such ...that way you never have a last minute panic. Not that I'm really a last-minute-panic-type-of-person (I'm normally very organised and on time ...sometimes even a bit too much so LOL!) But it's till good to have a few cards spare.

[Supplies: Fruitay - Melissa Bennett, Party Pop - Melissa Bennett (both from SSD)]

I recently spotted a very cute birthday related kit by Melissa Bennett at Sweet Shoppe Designs and decided to go with that for one of my Creative Team assignments. There were some cute cakes and cupcakes in the kit but to make it slightly different I decided to go with a big yummy ice-cream on the card instead :)

Golf...

No I'm not golf person, but I know many who are. Including my parents. My sister and brother used to play golf too. A few years ago (well, actually we're talking quite a few as these photos were taken with my very first ever digital camera) I walked with them around the golf course and took some photos...

[Supplies: Fresh Beginnings - Anne deJong, Par For The Course - Kate Hadfield, Template Pack 9 - Kaye Winiecki, Springtime Collaged - Anne deJong (all from The Lilypad)]

...and when Kate Hadfield recently released the perfect golf doodle kit I just had to hunt for those old photos again :)

Paper Scrapping...

I know I keep saying it over and over again, but... I really must find some more time for paper scrapping. It is what I really love when it comes to scrapping, and what I started out with, yet it often comes last on my list due to lack of time.

(Sorry for the very poor photo of this, the layout does not look straight at all, which it of course is in reality!)

Most of the time it's digital or hybrid Creative Team work assignments that demands my time and there's very little time left over for paper scrapping. But give me some pretty papers any time (like these cute ones from Sassafras) and I'm in heaven, scrapping with a big smile on my face.

PS. If anyone has found a solution to how to find more time - please let me know :)

Making "Storyboards"...

This was another lesson in the class taught by Jessica Sprague - how to make "storyboards". Even though I have heard the term before I was not totally sure what it meant ...or what it was exactly...

In fact I'm still not totally sure of the term...though I guess it makes sense in a way as a row of photos normally tells a story if they are connected. Also we were working with 3 photos for this assignment, maybe if you had a few more it would feel a bit more like a "story".

This is what I came up with. The title is a direct copy of Jessica's title and the photos we're some photos of my niece which I was sent the very same morning by mum & dad.

A pretty cute idea I think and also something that would be great to have printed and then use it on a scrapbooking page. Something I will definitely keep in mind for the future :)

"Eating Out" Layout Class...

I designed this class as part of my on-line class work for A Trip Down Memory Lane. Please feel free to use these instructions to make your own layout. You are free to link to this page from any forum etc if you wish. Please do NOT copy this information and/or photos to use for your own classes/forums/webpages without permission.

Supplies needed:
Scenic Route – Sonoma Collection – Madera Drive
Scenic Route – Sonoma Collection – Scrap Strip 2
Scenic Route – Sonoma Collection – Sonoma Labels
Bazzill Kraft Cardstock
American Crafts – Thickers – Red, Daiquiri #42834
American Crafts – Thickers – Green, Gift Box #42762
Autumn Leaves Stampology “Journal” stamps AL3189
Kaiser Scrapbook clear rhinetones
StazOn “Blazing Red” ink pad

Also needed:
Scraps of white cardstock
Glue (I use Herma removable)
Black journaling pen (Zig Millennium)
Charcoal Chalk Inkpad (optional)
Woodware 3” scalloped round punch (optional)

Start by cutting your “Madera Drive” paper to size. We will be using the brown patterned side as the base for the layout. I scrap in true A4 size, so I cut mine to 29,7x21 centimetres (cm). Please feel free to adapt to another layout size if you prefer.

Pick your photo. I have a 15x10 cm landscape photo which I have printed in black & white and cut into three strips. (Make sure when you plan your cuts that you don’t cut through someone’s face.)

Cut your Kraft cardstock so it’s 1 cm smaller on each edge than your main background (in my case: 19x27,7cm). Round the corners, chalk the edges and create “fake stitching” around the edge using a black pen. Cut the red and green strip from the “Scrap Strips 2” sheet.

Glue the Kraft cardstock in the middle of your layout. Add the red & green strip (chalk edges if you wish) starting 5 cm from the bottom of the layout.

Add your photos, at different heights, to the right of the layout trying to keep the spacing between them even. Then stamp the round scalloped journaling stamp, in red ink, onto some scrap white cardstock. Cut around or use scalloped punch. Journal and attach to the layout using the photo below as a guideline.

Make up your title using a mix of American Crafts Thickers stickers.

Cut out some word strips from the “Scrap Strips 2” paper and put these in the bottom right corner. Add some jewels to the edge of the red & green strip.

Finish by picking a sticker from the Sonoma sheet, add your date on it and place near the top left of your layout.

I hope you enjoyed my class! Wishing you lots of fun creating your own version!

Reading...

I love reading! Totally love it and always have done ever since I was old enough to read. And I love cute little bookmarks...

As soon as I saw this kit by Mindy Terasawa I knew it would make a great summery bookmark:

I'm planning on re-reading both the Twilight and the Harry Potter series in the autumn. Well...I probably won't even wait that long actually. I have a few books in line first, but let's say August instead. I have read the Harry Potter series a few times now (in 2 languages) but I'm still itching to read it again...especially after seeing the latest film in the cinema at the weekend.

[Supplies: Little Tea House - Mindy Terasawa, Little Tea House Stickers - Mindy Terasawa (Designer Digitals)]

Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince...

So have you seen it yet...?

We went to the cinema yesterday afternoon and watched the new Harry Potter film - "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". The cinema was super busy and several shows had sold out. We'd originally planned to go to a different cinema but the showing we wanted was completely sold out.

As usual, with a Harry Potter film, I did wonder how much sense the film would actually have made for someone who'd not read the book (not that much I don't think). But then again, I guess most people have indeed read the books, or definitely if you bother going to watch the film I guess :) A great film and I'm so pleased we managed to find some time to go and watch it over the weekend. I'm already eagerly awaiting the DVD release...whenever that might be :)

Also I was really pleased with the movie trailers before the film as we got some really great news! "New Moon", the second film in the Twilight saga, has it's UK movie premiere on my birthday - I know what we'll be doing on November the 20th :)

Selective Re-Colouring...

Right, back to the Jessica Sprague photo editing class and the next lesson. This lesson I really love as the result is so "wow". Yes it's not something you want to do to every photo, or even that many, but on the odd one it can really give a dramatic effect. We're talking about selective re-colouring...

You start off with just a normal photo. Preferably something with a bit of a "big focal point". Something like a landscape photo without a main focal point won't really get the same effect at all...

Then you remove all the colour from the photo and using a layering mask you "paint in/back" the colour on the selected part(s) that you want to have coloured. It's really, really cool. I have done this a few times in the past but not enough to remember how to do it off hand. So again it's a case of being reminded on how to do it before the technique comes back to you. Anyone get a feeling I have said this a few times during the class and maybe, just maybe, I should take some time to practice all these techniques a few times so I don't need to look up how to do it next time? I do!! LOL! It's just finding the time for it...

Some Digital Scrapping...

Thought I would take a day's break from posting my photos from the class and instead put up a digital page which I made on Thursday. It's made as part of my Creative Team work for the Lilypad and I used some really cute and happy coloured kits that were released yesterday:

[Supplies: Scrap Pad Polly Love 2 - Amy Martin, Fun Land - Jaqcue Larsen, Dani Mogstad, Scruffy & Stripey Alphabet - Kate Hadfield, Spring Greens - Kate Hadfield, Cottage Garden - Kaye Winiecki (all from the Lilypad), Border Basics Squares -Libby Weifenbach (from SSD)]

Right I'm off out.Going hunting for some birthday presents both for my niece and my mum. And after that we hope to have a walk around an outlet centre too. We'll see how far we get :)