Monday 30 March 2009

Going Live

This week it is Charli's Angels turn to set the weekly challenge over on UKS.

The criteria was

A = Any new stash

N = Notes or journalling

G = glammer or glitze

E = Embellishments

L = Lace

S = Sewing or stitching

So here is my LO. This wasnt my original one but it went slightly wrong with the stitching so i had to come up with this one pretty fast.



Still at the chuck everything at a LO stage, lol

TFL

Sarah

Sunday 29 March 2009

Canvas Art Journal Cover

Ok i have been making the most of my non college weekend as this will be the last crafting for two weeks. I have the boys of school for the easter holidays and 3 x 2000 word essays to do, arh is all i can say.

So after been inspired by Donna Downeys art quilt and a technique from scrap muse about using scraps, i came up with this. It will hopefully be the front page for a art type journal for Daniel.

So this is how i did it. I have some Canvas on a roll which i bought from Ebay. Very inexpensive, 3 big rolls for £9 inc P & P.

So i cut a 9 x 9 square and painted it white with acrylic. I edged with umber and black paint. When this was dry i used a water colour pen in green and purple to add some of the colours i was going to use.

Next i took a pile of scraps in greens, blacks and purples. These papers are mainly papermania with a touch of Teresa Collins and Love elsie for the black and white element.

Once i had cut different sized squares and rectangles i arranged them on the page how i liked and stuck them down with PVA. Once they were dry, i covered the whole canvas with PVA again to seal it.

I then took my white actylic paint again and painted over all the papers. Whilst still dry i rubbed away at the paint to bring the pattern thru again.

I took a halequin stamp and masked sections off before stamping in a line down the page. I added the main picture and some journal strips before embellishing with buttons and eyelets.

I used papermania alphabet stickers for my title.

I intend to mount on chipboard to make my cover.











And thats me all crafted out now with the craft stuff banished back to my newly tidied craft room

Thanks for looking as usual, greatly appreciated.

Sarah

Saturday 28 March 2009

My creative juices flowed last night

So after many hours of number crunching and my head splitting i decided to do some crafting. Firstly i made a LO as a result of a challenge over on Butterfly crafts that was to use a favourite book as inspiration.

So i have recently read 1-4 in the twilight series. I loved those books and cant wait to see the films. So you can probably guess it but my inspiration was the black, white and red book covers.

Now i am not a red person and probably have about 6 pieces of red PP to my name. so i stole the basic grey paper from my mum. It was her favourite and she has many pieces of this PP as she uses it all the time.

So here is the LO











I also made my journal page of "me" which is a pre event challenge for scrap attack. I sat for hours painting on canvas with acrylics and cutting and sticking newspaper text. Very theropautic except i got glue and paint all over the laptop.

Off for a bath now as i am chilled to the bone and its snowing up here in the hills.

Sarah

Friday 27 March 2009

Nothing to report

Still ear deep in university essays here so nothing crafty going on yet. But i do plan to finish my art quilt over the weekend so i will upload that. Also want to make a start on my pre event challenge for scrap attack in September as a idea have sprung to mind so i better do it before it goes.

Be back infrequently for the next two weeks and then its my brothers big wedding and i can relax and socialise.

Sarah

Sunday 22 March 2009

Happy Mothers Day

So today is Mothers Day here in the UK. After waiting to hear the boys getting up and making my breakfast in bed.....can you also hear them.....NO me neither, lol. So i got up at nine to which DH jump started the kids and along they toddle with my cards. Alex made me a card in school which was loverly. He is taking after his nan and blinged it to within an inch of its life. Daniel made me a card at Boys Brigade and coloured it in so neat and tidy.

And Keith sent away to moonpig for this little beauty, Lol. Oh i laughted so much but i can see it being a LO pretty soon!!!!



So i decided to make some cards yesterday. I had a pile a scrap on my desk form the previous days LO so off i went. I bought two of the Leanne Ellis Sugar Nellies last month so i decided to finally give them their debut. I stamped onto water colour paper with a black archieval ink and then coloured and blended with my Whispers Stiokes. God i love those pens and i will certainly be investing in some more colours in the future.

So here are my two mothers day cards, one for my mum and one for keiths mum













so off to get ready as today is my crop, yay

Take Care

Sarah

Saturday 21 March 2009

No Brainer

So yesterday i started research for my next big essay and as the morning went on i was getting more and more stressed, tired and angry. I realised that it was just not going to work that day, i couldnt use my brain. So i needed something simple to do that required no thinking on my part, a no brainer, lol

So i decided to make a LO about my Uni achievemnet so far, one that celebrates how i was feeling yesterday basically. I sat and created for 2 hours, a record for me and you know what i felt very relaxed and optimistic last night.

we even went for a nice walk as a family, did a spot and gardening and make plans to dig over the veggie plot today.

So moral of the story. when in doubt, do some crafting, lol

So here is my LO. You may have noticed a theme developing here, pink and green. Now these are more my favourite pinks and greens.











So i plan to make another LO tonight if i can as i want to enjoy this happy feeling this weekend and leave uni behind until monday, lol

Sarah

Tuesday 17 March 2009

Lucky to have my "Queen of steam"

So here is a LO i was creating for the next scrapbbok apprentice but it never made it as the family out voted it for selection, lol

I decided to embrace Keith's femine side as in this household i am so lucky in that Keith just loves to do the ironing.

He needed a new cover and went straight for the girly pink "queen of steam" one.

So i made my LO in pinks to match the cover and Keith's T shirt.











Off to finish a carp essay now, arh. See you soon

Friday 13 March 2009

Final sneak peaks

So i finally finished my last project for this months's Scrapbook apprentice. We had the opertunity to create an alternative this time as well as the two LO's and cards.

I am really pleased with how this turned out. Sorry, cant tell you what it is yet, lol

Here are the sneak peaks







Hope you like them

Thanks

Sarah

Thursday 12 March 2009

Scrapbook apprentice sneak peaks

Well i thought id post a few sneak peaks seeing as these LO's may not see the light of day, lol. Voting is still open for this round, just click on the link on the right hand side.

I was a bit vary of the lime green and shocking pink combo but i embrased it and made 3 LO's in the combo, and two of those were male LO's, ouch, lol

Here are the sneaks











I have the additional item still to do but i had a flash of inspiration this morning so i plan to work on it this evening as i have just spent 5 hours reading biotechnology text books and i think i derserve to play.

Catch you later

XX sarah

Thursday 5 March 2009

Scrapbook apprentice: next round

Well i made it thru to another round of scrapbook apprentice again by the skin of my teeth. Thank you to all those who votes and offered some loverly comments. I dont think i will fair so well this time as the other ladies work is so nice. It will be a shame as i loved playing with the WRMK stuff, just so bright and funky.

Anyway you can vote here. scroll down as i am at the bottom of the page as usual.

Here is the LO up on the site so i can show you.

I loved making the LO. I cut circles out in vary sizes and distressed them. I cut up strips of WRMK papers to embellish. I stitched, a sanded, i hole punched, you name it, i did it, lol











Next is my card. This is not my favourite. The other one which you might not get to see in the mag was a pop up card, very cute. This one i tried something new with the cordinations and PP. I made little paper roses. They came out really well. You cut your self a circle and then you cut it into a spiral shape, like you used to do when making spiral mobiles with the kids, lol. Next you twirl the spiral up in a circular motion to make the rose bud and secure with a dab of glue.



So thats it, maybe see you again with some sneak peaks soon.

Sarah

Tuesday 3 March 2009

Retreat projects

As promised, here are a few pictures of the retreat projects were all did.

Firstly Sandra the owner of Crafter's Haven, Banff, set us a challenge. She provided us with a wee box and said to go do something with it. So here is mine. I didnt do anything fancy, just decorated it and made a mini book for inside.












I loved how ours all looked different. Nicola cut hers up and made an exploding box. Linda inserted little match box draws into a few sides and Bev got us all to decorate a tag over the two days to slip inside her box.



Next most of us made mirrors based on some ideas from Tim Holtz and using skills we learnt whilst making another mirror at Scrap attack 2008 with Dyan.

Here is mine. I used mountboard squares and rectangles cover in PP before embossing with Blonde Moments Unltra thick clear. I also used memory glass backed with PP, grunge board shapes and silver charms.

I prepared my mirror by painting it blue then adding a coat of Blonde Moments crackle glaze and adding a coat of black paint using a rangers dabber when the glaze was dry. I sanded down a few areas here and there for an aged effect.





Here is one of the other ladies christmas mirrors. I will edit and add more once i get some pictures of Fiona.



Next i decided to make my mixed media mini book kit that i got for christmas from Cleo's undomesticated kits. I made a start when i got it but never finished it but i was determined this time as it was a stunning kit. I made lots of changes from Cleo's fab instructions as i wanted it to suit the boys. Added bonus, Karen from our retreat actually brought me some more single records to alter again.

























Next came a card making class from sheena. Sheena is not a scrapbooker at all but we are winning her around and she is now making boxes and mini books. Sheena made us a card and put the kts together for us. She was nervous that us scrapbookers wouldnt like it but she was a great teacher and we all had fun and a few of us where devients and added a few things, lol





Lastly i wanted to finish a altered jigsaw i started of Daniel. I started by painting the pieces in brown acrylic paint before covering each one is blue and brown PP's. On a few of them i embossed with clear embossing powder before stamping into the hot powder with a slightly inked stamp. It produced a nice effect. I added hidden journalling behind some of the jigsaw pieces and embellished with ribbon.

Here are the before picture









and here are the after pictures











Oh and i made a 6 x 6 mini book which i covered in vintage papers ready for filling with pictures from the retreat to make a keepsake of our weekend. Pictures to follow, lol

This retreat was a great way to clear up some of those UFO's, lol

By for now

Sarah