Scrapping

I mentioned yesterday in the post of mum’s colour inspiration card how much I LOVE these colours and I had a blast playing around with them in a 12×12 layout last night.  I spent pretty much all evening on it, as the only starting point I used was the colours, whereas usually when I scrapbook I start with a sketch or layout idea as well.  So the page evolved over a number of hours, but I thoroughly enjoyed the process and am also very happy with the result…

I started out making the flower using Pick a Petal with the co-ordinating On Board chipboard, stamping the petals onto Whisper White, then glueing them onto the chipboard and sanding the edges.  I am demonstrating different uses of the chipboard at my team stamping day tomorrow, so this layout will now be able to serve double duty - as my entry for the colour inspiration and also as a demonstration sample.  A Klass Act girls, if you’re seeing this here, you will have a minor case of deja vu tomorrow, but don’t worry I have other unseen samples too

I have actually done things back to front compared to how I would usually make a layout, as generally I pick the photos, then build everything up based on them, but this time I started with the challenge colours and looked for some pictures that would work.  This series of photos are some adorable snaps of my little one and our Ridgeback X, Luke, in the park recently.  Happily, Sophie’s top can pretty much pass as Regal Rose, and I just LOVE these photos, so they worked perfectly!

The rest of it kind of just happened as I played.  I love making my own flowers with the Pick a Petal set and when I was messing about with the style of the flower I thought about having one petal dropping off, like the old “he loves me, he loves me not” ritual of pulling a flower apart to figure out if your true love loves you back!   I thought this would work well as a theme, as Luke and Sophie have a very sweet relationship! It started out with her being scared to death of him, but now they potter around in the backyard together and she feeds him biscuits through the gap at the bottom of our back door, so he’s delighted with the arrangement!  Last week in the park after we had played on the swings, we were headed home and Sophie decided she wasn’t finished playing, so headed back in the direction of the playground.  Luke trotted off after her and ran around her in a big arc, kind of rounding her up - SO sweet!  So I made sure that the number of petals equated to “he loves me” and made that the title too

For the title, I stamped onto some of the Sage Shadow patterned paper from the Spring Fling pack of DSP using the Jumbo Outline alphabet, then cut them out.  The heart is another bit of chipboard covered in Rose Red cardstock, then with a layer of Crystal Effects to make it nice and shiny

I think I will actually add a second page to the layout so that I can add some journalling in, as I’ve kind of run out of space with the oversized flower taking up most of the page!  I’d love to record the little details of Luke and Sophie’s friendship for her to read when she’s older

“He Loves Me 12×12 Layout”
Stamps: Pick a Petal, Jumbo Outline Alphabet
Paper: Sage Shadow, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Rose Red Prints DSP, Spring Fling Prints DSP
Ink: Regal Rose, Sage Shadow
Accessories: On Board Chipboard Blossoms & Basics, Trimmings (upcoming Spring Mini!) and Accents, Small Corner Rounder Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Crystal Effects

I’ve been so busting for Kristina to post another colour challenge, so when she did I was very excited, but also stuffed up with ANOTHER cold (my third or fourth this year!) AND with a workshop to prepare for.  I managed to play along though and am very excited with the result - this time it’s a 12×12 scrapbooking layout

Here, first of all is the colour challenge itself, taken from none other than my favourite place in the world - Ikea!

In posting the challenge, Kristina pointed out the use of white as a dominant colour in the combination, so I took that advice on board and came up with this!

I was SO excited to realise that the colours in the gorgeous tea set that we used for our recent biggest morning tea could all pretty much fit in with the challenge colours, so I scrapbooked our tea party!!

I think the absolute BEST parts of this layout are the pictures, so didn’t really need a bunch of other stuff going on, and the use of white as the main colour really let the pictures speak for themselves as well.

The most exciting part for me is that I didn’t actually use a pre-existing sketch for this one!  I just printed my photos, laid them out and let it happen from there.  Being fairly reliant on using sketches for my scrapbooking on most occasions, I was pretty happy that this came together relatively easily from scratch

For the Going Gray component of the colour combination, I had planned to mat the photos onto Going Gray cardstock, but the fly in that particular ointment was that I don’t actually OWN any Going Gray cardstock.  Hmmmmm….  The next best thing I decided would be to use Whisper White with Going Gray ink (which I DO have!) sponged around the edges.  The effect is even better than I think the cardstock would’ve been, so I sponged the edge of the whole big sheet of white too, just to tie it all in

The embellishments are Pretties sponged in Rose Red and So Saffron ink with some different sized half pearls (also from the Pretties) stick in the centres.  For the leaves, I folded a piece of Old Olive CS, fed it through my crimper and cut out, well….leaf shapes! 

 Here’s a close up of the title, where I used my Jumbo Outline Alphabet with the polka dot patterned paper from the Rose Red Prints Pack.  The “party” word is from the recent Sale-a-bration set Lots of Thoughts.  Another smaller spray of Pretties and crimped leaves keeps the theme happening

For the background of the title, I scalloped the edges of the card with my small corner rounder (guide removed) then punched little holes in each scallop with my 1/16″ circle hand punch.  I love the old-fashioned effect this gives it!

The photo corner in the top left uses a similar idea, but in this case, after I had scalloped the edges of the cardstock, I then used my photo corners punch (the larger one of the two) and punched out a photo corner keeping the scallops intact!  

This is something that I actually came up with in the moments before drifting off to sleep last night, and had I not been exhausted and up to the eyeballs with cold and flu medication, I would very likely have got out of bed and made it right then!  That is something that I do with frightening regularity, as quite often I will have an idea just as I am going to sleep, and then I can’t sleep for thinking about it, so I have to get up, do it and get it out of my head so I can sleep!  Does this happen to anybody else, or am I just strange?  Perhaps don’t answer that…..

Prior to joining Stampin’ Up! I had never scrapbooked in 6×6, only 12×12, but I have to say that I LOVE the smaller size.  It is just as effective a way of preserving memories, and the smaller size (and less space to fill!) means that the pages are finished in record time!!

This one is another example of the gorgeous colours in the Loves Me range of DP from the summer mini.  

The photo itself is one that was taken when my now chunky little 17 month old was only a couple of weeks old.  See how teeny tiny she is?!  And how proud her big sister is?!  I LOVE this photo

Here’s the recipe:

Stamp sets: Dream Come True

Cardstock: Regal Rose, Whisper White

Inks: Regal Rose, Close to Cocoa

Accessories:  Large and Small Oval Punches, Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware