Little Gift Tags

In between projects, I always clear my desk of leftovers, but to make tidying feel a little less like a chore, I like to gather up some of my scraps and make something small. I find it helps me to use up those teeny, tiny scraps while I still have the incentive!

Stamps help with this process, because the smaller designs really make the most of those scraps - and there's very little waste. So, during my last desk clean, I pulled out some of my stamps from Make The Say Special and decided to make a few little gift tags. I chose my designs and colours based on a few leftover pieces of ribbon which were floating around. It's as good a reason as any, right?

The first tag uses a sentiment from Cruising Through Life, a little cloud from Bon Voyage and a circle element from Blossom Stackers. Doesn't it look like a little sun when it's stamped in yellow? On this second tag, I've used some leaves and floral elements from Blissful Botanicals and FlutterBy. The two sets compliment each other so perfectly. And lastly, a simple little tag made with a sentiment from Boob Tubes and an embellished star element from Learning Year By Year.

*** Please note that although the new website for Make The Day Special is now open, Emily is still working on the shop and we're currently unable to link to each stamp set. I'll let you know as soon as everything is re-stocked on the website. ***

West Kirby Marina

I found a little bit of time this weekend to do some scrapbooking. I've really missed playing with my pretty papers over the last few months, so it's lovely to be feeling inspired again. Thankfully, there's lots of inspiration around at the moment - I had some new (well, old really) photographs printed off recently which is always a big boost to my scrapbooking mojo and, of course, I've been playing along with the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. 

The paper's in my kit for this month are perfect for scrapping the blues, greys and browns of my spring-time photographs from last year and I'm hoping that they'll be just as useful in scrapping the rest! I seem to have a lot of kit left, but not a lot of month though - so we'll have to see if I can manage to squeeze in everything I have in mind.

I come back to this simple formula of strips and stitching, time and time again, because it works for me. It's minimalist, but it works especially well with my larger photographs. I've added in a little extra detail with some Cosmic Shimmer Mist and a selection of stamps from the Blossom Stacker Set by Unity and a word stamp from the Say Cheese Too Set by Lawn Fawn (both of which are available in the UK from Make The Day Special.) 

Do you have a scrapbooking formula? One that works for you when you're in a hurry, or when you need a kick start? I'd be interested to know - so that I can try it!

Such Happy Days

Prompted by one of the challenges in the Master's Forger's National Scrapbooking Day Blog-Hop, I started thinking about how I could make my own version of the Sassafras Collage Text Paper to include in my May Counterfeit Kit. 

Just a little bit of stash diving and I was ready to go! First I dug out some white cardstock, the remains of a chipboard alpha set, some spray inks, co-ordinating stamp inks and some of my trusty stamp sets. 

Using the chipboard alpha set as a stencil, I misted part of my cardstock with the spray inks. Once dry, I inked up some of my luscious stamps and used them to add additional colour and texture. Here you can see stamps from three Unity Store Kits - Quiet Essence, All About The Journey and Learning Year By Year, as well as Schoolhouse Backdrops by Lawn Fawn.

Although I've cut the final paper down to include it on my layout, I'll be keeping the extra bits to use in other projects - even on a smaller scale the misting and stamping make excellent backgrounds - so expect to see them making an appearance over the next few weeks. 

With such a colourful paper as the main focal point of the layout, I only needed a simple, but colourful background and a few, well chosen embellishments. To add a little bit of dimension, I've layered a tag, some cardstock from my scrap box and some ... um ... extra stamps.

Even I was a little shocked that I managed to include even more stamps, but those cute clouds and the sweet florals from Bon Voyage and Flutterby - both by Lawn Fawn - added just the right amount of whimsy. And I do like a bit of whimsy!

Stamping & Stashbusting

After all my time away, I'm thrilled to rejoin the Make The Day Special DT. I've really missed playing with my lovely stamps - so I was thrilled to have some time this weekend to get stuck in. My fingers are now satisfyingly inky!

First I made a couple of little gift tag backgrounds using some teeny, tiny scraps. It's really simple, just stick them down, then sew them up! I thought the colours would be perfect for spring - even though they're actually scraps from my October Counterfeit Kit. It's the kit that just won't end!

The first tag uses a partial sentiment and balloons from Admit One and a little cloud from Bon Voyage - both sets from Lawn Fawn's Summer 2011 Release. Still one of my favourite stamp collections!

The second tag uses a simple sentiment from Cruising Through Life, another set from Lawn Fawn's Summer 2011 Release, and some pretty stars from Learning Year By Year, one of Unity's Store Kits.

Such super, simple stashbusting projects that I hope will add a little 'something, something' to my gifts.

Pretty Packaging

I discovered My So Called Junky Life a little while ago and spent a wonderful hour or two looking through Sarah's blog archives - oohing and ahhing over her super pretty jewellery and gorgeous photography. But out of all that loveliness, I was especially in awe of beautiful beads and pretty packaging that Sarah had featured in the Petite Bead Box Swap. How amazing it would be to take part in a bead swap like that!

So, I was beyond thrilled when Sarah decided to host another bead swap and I signed up to take part straight away. Then, of course, I had a moment or two of panic - the ones which always come with needing to send something impressive to a complete stranger.

I decided to make an envelope parcel using what has to be my favourite cardstock of the century - Basic Grey's Kraft. I then decorated the envelope using some handstamped leaves from Blissful Botanicals and Harvest Of Memories, along with some ribbon and flowers from Precocious Paper.

I'm thrilled with the way my packaging turned out and can guarantee that come Christmas I'll be trying this with traditional reds, greens and little bits of holly! It's a little early to be thinking of Christmas, right? How did that pop into my head?

I should be able to reveal the parcel that I received - along with it's beautiful contents - over the next day or two. In the meantime, perhaps you can tell me where you get your packaging inspiration?

Promarker Practice

A little while ago I bought my first few sets of Promarkers. On the same day I was lucky enough to receive a bumper pack of stamps from Make The Day Special. Emily is the most generous DT Co-ordinator - ever!

I immediately decided that the gorgeous blooms in the Quiet Essence set were perfect for a little bit of promarker practice - and, of course, they'd be perfect for all of you promarker pros too!

For this card, I stamped one of the images several times onto some smooth cardstock and then coloured using a variety of pinks, blushes and springy greens. To give the images dimension, I cut out elements from each of my stamped images and layered them using some small foam dots. I also added in just a couple of extra little leaves, which I curled with my finger nails to lift them a little.

Not bad for a practice piece, eh?