My Christmas Gift Tags

OK, I admit it. I am kind of getting excited about the arrival of summer and of Christmas.  I always struggle at this time of year because both my daughters have birthdays about now.  I like to concentrate on them first before I starting doing Christmas stuff.
This year I am feeling prepared for the second birthday this weekend and so last week I made our Christmas gift tags.  I am really pleased with how they have turned out.

I cut the ornament shape using my Silhouette Cameo, then stamped the 'To and From' on the back.  Using Copic friendly cardstock I stamped lots of little  Christmas robins.  I coloured these using my Copics and Spectrum Noir pens.  I added a touch of Clear Wink of Stella to all the areas coloured red.
I punched each Christmas Robin out using a 1 1/4" circle punch.  Then inked the edges with Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide ink.  I adhered these circles to the front of my ornaments and lastly added some glittered thread to each ornament.

Now all I need are sine gifts and a tree to put them under.  Roll on Christmas Season.  But, first lets enjoy thanksgiving.

Journaling Strips

I had such a great week.  Two days this week I have been able to sit in my craft-room and scrapbook.  I am not saying this to brag (OK maybe a little).  On Monday, seeing as it is school holidays, my daughter was able to arrange with her friends for them to come round. This meant, I was banished from the house (honestly, it was what I wanted, six 18 yrs olds was just a little bit much for me)  So I was able to enjoy my craft room and finish of a few layouts that I did at the workshop last weekend.  Don't you love that feeling when a layout is complete - title, journaling, the lot.  Very satisfying.

Well, yesterday I was able to have another day of scrapbooking. It was amazing, I managed to complete three layouts.  I am trying as I go to be sure each layout is complete including journaling as these are layouts from my trip to the US and I don't want to forget anything.

One of the layouts I decided to try something new for me.  To add journaling in strips.  I have seen layouts with this over this years and thought they looked good, but was never confident enough to give it a go.  Or they were done using computer journaling and I wanted hand written journaling.  So this is what I did.

I cut a piece of cardstock about the width of the space I had available on my layout.
Then I cut it a bit shorter than I wanted it to be when finished - knowing that when I cut the cardstock into strips I would want to spread them out a bit down the space.

I wrote my journaling in pencil first to be sure to get the spacing right.  I was strange to write with huge gaps between each line.  But this was so I could cut each line apart easily when the time came.

I wrote over my journaling in brown pen to match the feel of my layout (sometime black is too harsh)
Once the ink was dry I erased the penciled journaling.

Then it was time to bite the bullet and cut them apart. I used my trimmer and carefully cut them apart.
I would cut one strip at a time then place that strip on my layout so I would not mess up the order.

Once my journaling was cut apart and laid out I lined up my layout on the grid of my cutting mat, then lined up my long ruler down the edge where I wanted my journaling to go and adhered each strip in place.  Having the ruler as a guide so all the strips lined up down the left hand edge was a great help.

I was really pleased with the end result.

Steal Like an Artist

Steal like an Artist - 10 things nobody told you about being creative by Austin Kleon

Oh my goodness, this is a good book to read if you have any creativity - be it writing, painting, drawing, photography, scrapbooking, or card-making.  If you like being creative this is a great and easy read.  Grace found this book in a cool little book shop at the San Francisco Wharf.  She read it for her writing and told me that I would enjoy it - she was right.  Grace managed to read it in a couple of days.  I read it in just over a week - that is really good for me.

I came to realize that ideas for creativity are everywhere.  We just need to open our eyes and sometime look at things differently.  I also came to understand that everything has already been done, but that doesn't need to stop me from creating something I want to see.  Copy something and make it my own.

Many of us like to 'scrap-lift' ideas.  Well, know you can join me and understanding that 'stealing' artist ideas is just how creativity works and flows.

One thing I did really like in the book was being told to step away from the screen (computer, phone, tablet or whatever) and do something with your hands.  Make something, anything.  It can be so true, sometime when I get scrappers block, what helps is to get into my craft supplies and play, create and make.  Love it!

Beyond the Stars

I have been playing with a new technique for card-making.  I have to admit I have had fun with this.  I don't normally like getting messy, but this was a fun messy.

For this you will need inks that will blend easily.  I found using bright colours was a lot of fun.  I used the Distress Oxide Inks from Ranger.  But I understand you can use the normal distress inks and some die inks.  For the black I used Momento's Black Tuxedo ink.

To start with add smooches of colour to your 6"x 4" plain cardstock - a light colour works best such as a white or cream.  I used four colours. I added the inks using the ink applicators from Ranger

Using a make-up sponge I added some black ink over the top of all the colours.  This will look as though you have ruined it.  Take it from me, you haven't, keep going. Let this dry, you can use a heat tool to speed this up if you like.

Add a bit of colour over the to and then dry again.  I added a little bit of the blue.

To finish off your galaxy flick some white paint over your cardstock.  Or you can add some white pen dots - varying the sizes of dots helps with the effect.

Now you have a galaxy.

Add to your card.  You can add stamps and other embellishments for finish your card.

Have fun and create something amazing!

I'm Back!!!!

It has been such a long time since I last posted (almost a year).  So much has happened since I last posted.  I am and have continued to craft while I was gone.  I have been thinking lately about whether or not to carry on/pick up my blog again.  I number of people encouraged me to start writing my blog again, so here I am.

I have decided to make this a personal blog and to share my cards and scrapbooking layouts.  Even to share how I have done some of them.

First of all let me catch you up of a few things.
About three months ago my father-in-law had a heart attach and a triple bypass heart surgery.  My sister-in-law flew over from the UK to spend time with her Dad and to be here for his initial recovery.  She also spent some time with us which was lovely. She even got me knitting - haven't done that in a long time.  It has been fun.

About six weeks ago my daughters and I went for a wonderful two week holiday to America.  Grace went to Orlando, Florida for the Zumba convention. While she was at convention Melissa and i spent time with my friends Andrew and Katie in San Diego.  Melissa's friend from Canada also joined us.

After convention Grace joined us in San Diego for a couple of days, Then Grace, Melissa and I went to San Francisco for three days before coming home.

Recently my Dad has been diagnosed with Dementia.  For me this was not a total surprise. But it is still something my family and I are needing to come to terms with.

I have just done my first training to become a Zumba instructor.  I do not know where this will lead but I am looking forward to the adventure.  So much to learn - exciting.

So currently I have many scrapbooking projects on the go.  I am also seeing a great need to document family stories from both sides of the family.

So come join me on a journey of learning, discovery and creativity.