Learning Something New - Mini Album

I'm eagerly anticipating the start of Shimelle's Learn Something New Every Day at the weekend.I've taken part in this annual class many times and there is something wonderfully about revisiting an old favourite. One lesson that I have learnt the hard way though, is that if I don't prepare for the class, I never finish my album!

Using August's Counterfeit Kit has made it fairly easy to get started. I cut down a lot of cardstock and patterned papers to 3 x 5 inches, 'chomped' all of the corners and punched a hole in one end of each piece. To start making the base album feel a little bit more 'lived in', I've decorated the front using a little spritz of Mister Huey's Calico Shine; added a patterned paper effect with the camera stamp from Lawn Fawn's Say Cheese Too; and added a title with some Sassafras Alphas.

Inside the album, I've started to add some additional pattern with the chevron stamp from Papersmooches Geographic - it stamps wonderfully and, because it's a clear stamp, it's so easy to build up the pattern to create a fuller effect - and some extra embellishment with some of the smaller stamps from Papersmooches Teen Routine.

It's shaping up to be a fun album, full of colour and pattern - which is one reason why I love mini-albums, they really give you a chance to experiment with new ideas, products and techniques. Looks like I've started learning already!

Is anyone else planning on taking part this year? Have you done your preparation? Please let me know so that I can come and take a look. You see the best thing about starting class, is all the new friends!

Mini Lovin', Card Makin' {August's Counterfeit Kit}

It might seem a little late, but my Counterfeit Kit is finally ready for it's reveal. I've had hugely hectic month - and my little craft room looks like the four riders of the apocalypse stopped by for a spot of fun - so trying to find the time (and, um, find the supplies under all the mess) has made putting my kit together a little more difficult this month.

As Stitching On Paper (my very first paper-crafting class!) will wind down next weekend, I'm looking forward to starting Shimelle's annual class - Learn Something New Everyday - at the beginning of September. Having taken the class for the past two or three years now, I know that the best way for my to finish the class - with a complete album - is to prepare everything in advance. So, I've designed this month's Counterfeit Kit with that in mind.

I've once again pulled out my (now dwindling) box of scraps and have chosen papers from American Crafts, Echo Park, We Are Memory Keepers, Crate Paper and Bazill which echoed the colours and patterns from the inspiration kit - Summer Lovin'. I've then cut these papers down to 3x5 inches, chomped the corners and punched a hole in the end - creating the base for a mini album.

I've saved all of the scraps from cutting the pages for my mini-album and, as I'm hoping to have a card making session with a good friend very soon, I've added in some extra cardstock and that beautiful, chevron fabric paper from American Crafts. *swoon*

In order to choose my extras I made a small list of the embellishments in the inspiration kit and then set to with my stamp sets from Make The Day Special. I've used stamps from Say Cheese Too, Admit One,  Learning Year By Year and Blossom Stackers to create stars, circles, cameras and tickets. Then added a healthy dose of alphas, sequins, ric rac, sentiments, ribbon and twine. 

All based on the inspiration kit, but with my own little twists! You know how it is, right?

She Speaks Melsh

Another layout to share with you today, using a background paper from my November Counterfeit Kit and some scraps from my October Counterfeit Kit. Actually, October's Kit may never end. Seriously, I have been using scraps from that kit for the last couple of weeks and I still have a ton of them. It's fun seeing how many different projects I can make out of them though, so I'm not too worried.

Anyway, back to today's layout, which was inspired by - you guessed it - a prompt from Pretty Paper Party. The prompt was to use scraplifting as a starting point so, I was on a look out for the perfect scrapbook layout to emulate, when I spotted this beauty over on An Ounce Of Creativity and decided it was the one.

The dinky, little photograph of Mel was sat on my desk just waiting for inspiration to strike and, it did. Don't you love it when scrapbooking seems effortless? Well, not quite effortless. I did hand sew all of that embroidery thread.

Source: anounceofcreativity.blogspot.com via Clair on Pinterest

The journalling is a little twist on Mel's 'About Me'. It says - "Melsh is what she speaks. It describes what she says (nice things, mostly) and how she says it (her accent is a bit of a mixture.) The word comes from her name and from the fact that she's quarter Welsh. But there's no Welsh in her accent. That's Mel all over - lots of lovely quirks. I'll always be proud to be her first blog follower and, of course, her friend".

Not often that I love a layout, but this one's a definite keeper!

Scrapbook Paper From Scraps

It's one of those ideas that has been on my craft to do list for far too long, so when we were prompted to use quilting as an inspiration during Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party, I knew I had finally been given the 'excuse' I needed to work on a more time intensive project - making my own scrapbook paper from scraps.

So, I gathered together the scraps from my October Counterfeit Kit and pulled out some additional scraps in more neutral colours. I planned a very simple design, no fancy cutting for me - just beautiful papers, colour and stitching.

I cut myself a 12x12 sheet of plain white cardstock, then arranged my scraps in a very rough order before cutting them down to size. Since I knew I would be stitching onto my project, I used a simple glue stick which has the added advantage of keeping the scraps mobile for a moment or two while you manoeuvre them into position.

To finish off the paper, I used a simple zigzag stitch on my sewing machine. And believe me when I tell you that it's not perfectly straight. Still, I seriously couldn't be happier with the results.

Oddly, the morning after I finished my stitching, the Counterfeit Kit Challenge posted a tutorial on creating your own Patchwork Paper Using Scraps. It's a more structured pattern, but it is beautifully made and there's some excellent tips for those of you who might not be confident enough to sit down and just start stitching.

There Was Laughter {Pretty Paper Party}

I was thrilled when I received today's prompt from Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party. It's all about combining colours and, just last night, I finished a layout using one of the example colour combinations. I have never been so up to date with a class!

A certain someone will recognise this photograph immediately. In all honesty, it about time that the story of Meeting Mel made it onto a layout. And it's particularly apt, because we met through a Shimelle class! The journalling, and some of Mel's Photographs, are all on the blue piece of card that's tucked away behind the main photograph.

All of the cardstock and papers on the layout are from my October Counterfeit Kit only the base cardstock was a new sheet. I love the papers and the calm colours (though this colour combination could be a riot in different ratios!) but I think it's the splash of blue ink that really makes the layout come alive.

Whatcha think Mel?

Stashbusting Session {Pretty Paper Party}

I had a mammoth card making session last night. Mammoth. I decided to take inspiration from one of the Pretty Paper Party prompts - Dots & Stripes - and decided to use up some of my scraps.

I have a ton of long thin strips of paper, which I keep in a (burgeoning) 12 x 12 box, and another selection of scraps in an old shoebox, which I have sorted by colour. And you know what? No matter how much I try to whittle them down, I never seem able to make a dent in them. Still, it's worth a try if you end up with something to show for all your effort.

Anyway, here's a few of the cards I made last night....

I've also used some scraps from my August Kit and, a few that have already piled up from my October Kit.

I embellished with a few bits and bobs from the 'leftovers' tub I keep on my desk. At the end of a crafting session I just throw all of my brads, buttons, sentiments and such into a big tub. It saves tidying up and serves me well whenever I have a card making session. Whenever I get bored of rummaging through the same old things, I sort them and start all over again.

I'd love to know how the rest of you organise your scraps and such, and how you organise yourselves for a crafting session. Do you focus on creating each card one by one, or do you have a more 'assembly line' attitude?

Best Day {Pretty Paper Party}

It was an awkward moment. We hadn't seen each other for such a long time. But thanks to Shimelle I have, at long last, been reaquainted with my crafty mojo.

Shimelle's new scrapbooking class, Pretty Paper Party, arrived at just the right time. I needed a little bit of focus - and the class is certainly focused. On encouraging us to use up our pretty paper stash.

So far, Shimelle has been easing us in gently. Prompting us to look at new ways of combining our patterned papers - looking at colour combinations, base colours and pattern size. Although I've never felt afraid of pattern or colours in my scrapbooking, but it's been awkward for me to incorporate both into a style that suits me and my, slightly, minimalist tendencies. But, I have a couple of layouts done and dusted and, although they've incorporated lots of colour and pattern, I love them! Here's one, I'll share some more as soon as the light's good enough to take more photographs....

Shimelle has also been talking a little about how she puts together her cardstock and patterned papers for a crafting session. I smiled a lot, when she described the principles I use to put together my Counterfeit Kits.

Having my October Kit ready and at my side while I've been working through the prompts has made it so easy to pull out co-ordinating colours and patterns without constant rummaging. I have no idea how I used to scrap before I started counterfeiting. I only know that it used to feel so much harder. So, if you're visiting from Pretty Paper Party and the Counterfeit Kit Challenge is a new concept, I can highly recommend it. Enjoy!

Rose Garden {October's Counterfeit Kit}

How lovely it is to have a little bit of time to myself! I'm looking forward to - finally - having some time to work with my Counterfeit Kit. I actually started work on putting together my kit as soon as the October Inspiration Kit was revealed, but I haven't had much chance to show it off!

The Inspiration Kit was chock full of American Crafts - one of my all time favourite scrapbook manufacturers. I just love how each and every one of their patterns co-ordinate with each other, even across collections!

To start with I raided my stash for some of my favourite American Crafts papers, then added in some co-ordinating colours and styles from Echo Park and Prima. I've included co-ordinating alpha sets from Papermania and October Afternoon and a sheet of beautiful cardstock stickers from Echo Park's Victoria Gardens.

I've made some of my own floral style embellishments, using some trim and a few bits of bling that I had in my stash. I love the way these look - and hope you will too - watch out for a wee tutorial later this week!

I'm excited to start working with my luscious little kit and even though there's not really all that much of October left, I've received the first few prompts from Shimelle's new class - Pretty Paper Party - so I have no excuse not to get creating.

Travelogue {Inspired By Explore}

I may have been away for the majority of Shimelle's latest class - Explore - but I returned to an inbox full of inspiration. I've been working through some of the journalling prompts, coming up with ideas for new scrapbook pages and one thing became extremely evident. Unlike the majority of scrapbookers, I've never really concentrated on scrapping my travels - I love to travel and I have learnt so much through my experiences - so this is a major omission.

It might be a little difficult to create entire albums for each travel experience - it's so much easier to create in the moment or at least while the memories are fresh. So, I've decided to create a travelogue. One album to house all of my travel related scrapbook pages - and I'm going to focus on the journalling. I want to tell the stories of the places, the people and the memories.

I've started simply - using this month's counterfeit kit - by creating what might become a section/title page. The photograph is of Notre Dame and the journalling is simply printed information from our Paris Guide Book.

The style is a little different for me, but I'm liking the super, simple layout which has lots of room for journalling. I may be adapting this layout throughout the album! What is me, though, is the embellishment cluster - a cute flower, some sparkle, a leaf or two and a couple of diecuts. Good enough for Shimelle's Signature Accent Challenge, right?

Learn Something New Every Day {Finally Finished Fridays}

After categorising some of my works in progress at the beginning of November and promising to complete at least one project each week - a promise which I managed to keep for all of three weeks before I became ill - it looked as though the pile of unfinished, unloved projects would once again be forgotten. But the sense of satisfaction that came from finally finishing a project that has been sat gathering dust was hard to forget and I've decided that the idea of Finally Finished Fridays is worth continuing on into the New Year.

I admit that it will be hard to pick up those old, unfinished items when new projects are beckoning but, thankfully, I have you - my lovely blogreaders - to keep me on track and tell me off when I don't post something each week. You will help me, won't you?

Anyway, just to prove that I'll be following through on my promise this time around, here's a completed project to round off 2010. (There's so many photographs of it, I've had to pop them into a slideshow!)

I started this mini-album in September, when Shimelle's annual Learn Something New Every Day project began in earnest. I was determined to keep up with the project but, I had some extremely bad news not long into the project, and although I continued to keep notes, take pictures and jot down my journalling, it was too difficult to complete the actual album at the time. (And it's easy to see why once you start scrolling through the photographs.)

I'd made a start on putting together some of the pages at the beginning of November, because I felt that since I'd managed to keep on journalling and taking photographs, that I should be able to finish the album without too much trouble. But, because there were some very hard lessons for me in September, looking back was difficult - and a little overwhelming, and I only managed a few pages at a time. I finally finished today (though the photograph from Day 18 seems to have gone missing!) and it feels just a little bittersweet.

But, if I can finish this little album, I can finish anything and I feel as though I can let go of the events of 2010 and move forward into 2011.

Have a Happy New Year x

Shopping My Stash {Journal Your Christmas)

I hadn't really intended to be participating in Journal Your Christmas - despite my love for all of Shimelle's scrapbooking classes - but my lovely friend Cheryl bought me a class pass as an early Christmas present and I started receiving e-mail prompts in my inbox this morning! What a lovely gift!


I've been busy 'shopping my stash' this evening, pulling out random bits of stash that I am hoping to sit down and combine into an album sometime over the weekend. I absolutely love the beginning of a project when I can have a really good rummage in my papers, embellishments and ribbons to make my very own little kit! I wish it looked as cute as this one - maybe I need to stage all of my own photographs in tea cups?

Expect some updates on my progress throughout the month - but not every day - I'm not a speedy enough scrapper and I need to have my photographs printed. Just every now and then, deal?

A Little Something To Share

You know what really makes me happy? Making something new out of things that would otherwise be thrown away or over-looked. I've no idea where this love of busting stash came from, but it really floats my boat!

I sat down last night with several pieces of card that had been 'ruined' by my practice attempts with my new Cosmic Shimmer Mists. I cut them down into tag shapes, then added a ton of teeny, tiny paper scraps and mis-matched embellishments to make a cute, dinky, little mini-book for my Learn Something New Every Day album. And, because I haven't used anything new, I'm fulfilling my Stashbusting September obligations as well. Result!

I'm going to add smaller sized photographs and my 'lessons learnt' as and when I manage to have my photographs printed. For now, I'm keeping my notebook handy and jotting everything down everything I learn - like, "Leftovers make pretty projects."

Creative Ingredients

Inspired by a prompt from Shimelle Laine's current class on photography for scrapbooking - Love Your Photos, Love Your Pages - I got a little creative with my creativity earlier this week and ended up with what may become one of my favourite photographs of my craft room.

The class is, as always, really inspiring, so it's a shame I haven't had more time to work on it. I think I'll be adding new photographs from the class to some older photographs and dedicating a mini-album to my little craft room. If something deserves mention in a scrapbook, it's your very own space to scrapbook in, right?

Love Your Photos, Love Your Pages {Scrap Sunday}

I lost my crafty mojo over the last month. Nothing seemed to inspire me - no wait, everything inspired me, but I just couldn't seem to do anything. I needed something that would give me a kick-start and, luckily, Shimelle Laine has done it again. Her new class Love Your Photos, Love Your Pages starts tomorrow!

My lovely friend, Cheryl, bought me a class pass for my birthday and I am so very glad that she did. With both photography and scrapbooking prompts, the class is absolutely perfect for me - and will most certainly give my creativity a much needed boost.

In fact, just registering for the class and having something to look forward to has improved my mood and brought back my mojo - I've spent the last week making jewellery, art journalling and sewing. So, thanks again for the inspiration Shimelle. I love your photos, love your pages and love your classes.

Scrapping With Shimelle {Scrap Sunday}

If there's one lady on the scrapbooking scene that never seems to run out of excellent ideas and inspiration, it's Shimelle - who is hosting an online scrapbooking crop this weekend, full of challenges, inspiration and giveaways. If you haven't managed to visit already, I suggest that you get yourself over there pronto as the challenges finish tomorrow morning at 6am!

One of the current challenges, Scrapbooking With Two 4x6 Photos, really appealed because I've never created a scrapbook layout with multiple photographs. I'm quite comfortable scrapping without photographs, which is something most people find quite difficult, and I'm happy scrapping just one photograph because I love negative space on a layout. But two photographs? That takes up so much space!

Imagine my surprise then to discover that I love my finished layout. It came together fairly quickly, even though I spent quite a bit of time making a lace flower and a beaded branch to use as embellishments, and I'm particularly pleased with how well balanced the layout seems. Add to that the fact that I've continued to use things from my stash (chipboard flowers, ribbon stickers and rub-ons) that haven't seen the light of day for some time and I have successful scrapping. Almost as enjoyable as my search for the perfect pair of shoes!

So Much Scrapping! {Scrap Sunday}

I am still busily working my way through all of the prompts from Shimelle's class Something From (Almost) Nothing and I'm crediting it with my rediscovered love for scrapbooking. It really has been inspirational.

As part of the class, there was an option to create a 'Celebrate Life' album and, along with each technique prompt, came a prompt for creating an album page. I didn't start working on my album straight away. Initially I wanted to focus on working through the techniques and finishing off some older pages, but I've now started work on my album and have completed a few more 6 x 12, horizontal pages.

My first page is my current favourite. (Don't you love how that happens? A new page always seems to hold your heart until the next one is finished.) It's a photograph of my university friend, Sarah, on our trip to Austrailia almost seven years ago. *Sigh*

It's quite detail heavy and took me two evenings to finish - because I hand sewed the rolled ribbons before adding them to the layout - but I think it's worth it. As I said, it's my current favourite!

This second page is a small list of some of things I am grateful for - the things that I want to celebrate and seems perfect for a summary page in my album. I mainly used scrap cardstock to complete the journalling and make the flowers, but added in a pleated ribbon to give the page a little bit of lift.

And lastly, a layout which has been forming in my head since late last year when I went with my folks to Ness Gardens. I managed to snap a few portraits of my parents and this one, of their almost matching trousers, socks and shoes, became a firm favourite. It makes me smile every time I look at it and deserves a place in my scrapbook album.

I pulled out all of my floral stamps and, using a brown distress ink, used up all of my small scraps of papers to make accents for the page. It was a lot of cutting out, but I love the autumnal effect and the lift it's given to an otherwise simple page.

So, that's it for this week, but since the class has been extended into April with bonus materials and challenges, I think you'll be seeing more scrapbooking.

Still Inspired

I'm still being inspired by Something From (Almost) Nothing. So far we've started using up our metal embellishments, patterned paper scraps, ribbons, cardstock and page protectors - now it's on to stickers, flowers and buttons. There's some fabulous inspiration in the forums as well, so if you've ever wondered about taking one of Shimelle's classes, I can highly recommend it.

The last couple of weeks have been so hectic that I'm trying to catch up on the prompts before the class officially closes at the end of the month and, although I haven't been tackling the prompts in any kind of order, I've got a couple of layouts to share with you.

This first layout is a simple 6 x 12 layout using a photograph from our trip to Gloucestershire last summer. We got terribly lost, but as you can see, sometimes that's not such a bad thing! I used up some old Making Memories alpha stickers and a metal sticker embellishment - stash busting on a small scale.

And this layout? Well, it's been hanging around in my scrap room - unfinished - for almost a full year. It's a long story that I wanted to tell - a tongue in cheek look at my trust issues - but once I'd started it I didn't really know how I wanted to finish it. Since then, my scrapbooking style has evolved a little, but I'm glad to finally finish it off with lots of little flowers. It can now take it's place in my scrapbook album.

Does anyone else have layouts like that? Ones which linger around just waiting for some finishing touches? How do you decide which to leave and which to finish?

Archer Hairline

I'm sneaking in a layout for the current All About Challenge which ends today. (I know, I know, but the laundry!) The Design Team came up with an excellent theme - personality - and many of them chose to base their layouts on the results of personality profiles such as Myers Briggs. Whilst I do have several Myers Briggs stories to tell (the result of working in careers and training) I really wanted to create my little layout based on my results of the What's Your Type? quiz I found a while ago via How About Orange.

By taking you through a short series of questions (via a highly entertaining video, I might add) you are told which typeface suits your personality - and I came out as Archer Hairline. Once you've worked your way through the quiz yourself, you'll have the option to see the results and 'personalities' of other typefaces, so I won't spoil it by telling you what my results mean.

I've printed out a small sample of the typeface and added it to an old library card pocket and I've journalled about the results on a series of tags which I can hide away. Taking my inspiration from one of Tara Anderson's designs for the Something From (Almost) Nothing class, I've used several strips of scrap ribbon along the bottom of my layout and added a handmade ribbon rose. I love that the layout has a basic structure but that the ribbons break across the edges - a little like my personality type.

Cityscape (Or Should That Be Scrap?)

Just a quick post and run this morning. So little time and so much laundry! But, I did want to show off my latest scrapbook page inspired by the Something From (Almost) Nothing. It's another page made using paper scraps - mainly what I had lying around on my desk (and, um, floor!)

The class has been very inspiring. I'm enjoying putting together my pages; trying new styles and techniques. It's good just to take my time with each page and really rummage through the products that I have. Normally, I try to finish my pages quickly as I like the satisfaction of finishing them in one sitting, but I'm finding that by giving myself a little more time I'm enjoying the process a lot more and my ideas have time to form properly. I always thought I didn't have the 'proper' stash to do the layouts I wanted to. I just never gave myself time to really hunt it down or find alternatives.

As a result, I'm now much happier with my finished pages - and I'm much happier with my meagre stash. And, of course, it's great to finally scrap the photographs that have been neglected.

Stash Busting With Shimelle {Scrap Sunday}

Shimelle's new class - Something From (Almost) Nothing - started earlier this week, but I didn't really have opportunity to act on the wonderful, stash busting prompts until last night. Inspiration and enthusiasm was at an all time high though and for a couple of hours I was unbelieveably productive! Here's the evidence -

Our stash busting prompts were all about using up our metal embellishments and our paper scraps. Since, I feel totally at home using up my paper scraps, I hauled out my box full of teeny, tiny (but glorious) scraps of paper and sorted through it looking for some scraps that would co-ordinate with a photograph of my parents - one I've been meaning to scrap for a long time!

Everything, except the base cardstock came from my scrap collection - including the leftover rub-ons and three little bits of bling that have been hanging around since last year. I added some stitching and some of my favourite scrap flowers to give the layout a little bit of depth and I'm really happy with how 'sunny' it feels.

Feeling really spurred on by completing the layout, I thought I'd tackle metal embellishments. Since the embellishments I used were things I use most of the time anyway, I decided to give myself an extra little challenge to make some cards.

I've never made cards before and, for some reason, I didn't feel all that confident. I mainly used the scraps that were left over from creating my layout (bonus points?) and added just a couple of embellishments - pins and brads - to give the cards a finished look. And, I'm so happy with the results that I'll definitely be making more cards.

What do you think folks?