My Masters Entries Up Close and Personal Task 1 and 2

So way back in ..... gosh it was so long ago now...... ummm ... July 2014, I decided I would have a crack at the Scrapbooking Memories Masters challenge. I'm relatively new to submissions and online challenges, being published and people knowing who I am and what I do. So I had no idea how I would go considering all the very experienced and very talented people who would also apply. But I thought, heck, what do I have to loose? So I created my pages according to the tasks and I sent off my entries.

Then I got a call .............

AAAAAGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Yep it was that awesome!! I still can't believe I have been chosen. There were so many amazing entries and so many talented people who entered. I still can't see how, what I did, deserved to be given such a high honour in Australian Scrapbooking circles. But I do know, I am so grateful and pleased to have been recognised.

My one rule throughout the journey has to stay true to my style and not be influenced by the products or what others are doing. I scrap how I like to scrap. I always have. I'm probably not what you would call a conventional scrapper but I'm a scrapper all the same. Enough blabber. Let me show you my thinking behind each project.

First task: "Scrap a single layout using a 5x7in photo that must be engaging and have eye contact. The layout can be 8 1/2 x 11in or 12x12in."

My first problem, I have NEVER scrapped a photo that big! So where do I start? Well I started with a white piece of card stock (12x12) and placed the photo in several positions until I was happy with where it was.

So that's where it ended up. The rest just followed. I chose the colours based on the photo (my gorgeous boy about 16 years ago) and used Heidi Swapp Color Sprays to create the background. I sprayed I splattered and I dripped until I was satisfied with the result. Then I set it aside to DRY!! which I almost never do but I wasn't going to do something stupid like smudge it and have to start again LOL!

Then I went about gathering all my "bits" to add. Leaves, cotton, Hessian, film strip, die cuts, wool, buttons and much more.

I added some 2Crafty Chipboard for my title. It actually comes as "Those Eyes, That Smile" but I cut it up, as I do, sorry Vanessa lol! I'll use the "That Smile" somewhere.

I had just recently bought, for the very first time in my life, a sewing machine, and I couldn't wait to use it on my projects so I christened it on this one and It was the perfect addition to make the photo stand out.

It didn't make the cover but I was very happy with the end result.

Task 2: "Scrap a layout using at least one non-conventional (non-papercraft) item as an element of your page, ie an embellishment, part of your background, your title etc. Be as creative as possible. The Layout can be 8 1/2in x 11in or 12x12in."

Well, I use non-papercraft items every day in my scrapping. Old book pages, hessian, cardboard and so on...... this should be easy. NOT!

I threw out two, yes two, before I finally settled with this one!

I couldn't decide what item to use! I wanted to incorporate dress pattern paper or did I want wrapping paper or maybe stay away from paper all together and add postage stamps or a paper doily (hold on was that classified as non-papercraft, cause you can buy them from scrapbooking stores now!) but then I really wanted to give tea bag die a go!!!!!!

In the end I went with them all ....... LOL

The central feature, the frame, is a Merci frame (Big W). they are normally silver but I did a Finnabair and covered it with white gesso then water coloured it and later added tea bag juice. Yes ..... I can call it juice!

The tea bag juice was incredibly pigmented. Much more than I expected. I added some Distress Ink refill drops too to bring the burgundy colour into the layout. Here you can see the wrapping paper and dress patterned paper used behind the frame.

I popped some stamps in under the frame as well and added some Hessian strands for some texture.

I had all sorts thrown in there. No plan at all with this one. You would think by the third time I would have had some idea!! No! Not me! The photo was the wrong size and Kaity was wearing sunglasses so you couldn't engage with the photo ..... I thought I was doomed because of this one. Seriously ... I hadn't done anything new or special or even vaguely interesting. I did however like this bit .......

The use of the tea bag stub! Maybe that is what saved me in the end :)

Thank you for popping in and checking out my first two tasks for my Masters challenge. I'll pop the other two up some time tomorrow.

Cheers

Fiona xx