Off the Rails Challenge "Loved One" February

"Loved One"

Hello again. In this post I'd like to share my contribution as DT member for Off the Rails Scrapbooking Challenge Blog. The theme is use a photo or memorabilia of a loved one. This is my take on it.

I used a very old photo of me with my mum on Christmas morning with my Dolls House that I got from Father Christmas (Dad made it). I have many fond memories of playing with this dolls house and even though it wasn't as big or fancy as some others I still loved it very much. Only now do I truly appreciate how much love and time must have gone into making it. I wish I still had it but as we all do, it was thrown away many years ago when I "grew out of it".

As i mentioned, the photo was taken a very long time ago. In the 70's in fact. I think i would have been 4 or 5 at the time of the photo. So I decided to go with a bit of a 70's devour theme. I had been hording this amazing piece of 12x12 paper for exactly this photo but had never had an inkling to do anything with it. Until now.



Such a fun page to create. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy it too.

Pop over to Off the Rails Scrapbooking challenge blog and check out the challenge. The prizes are amazing. This time round the challenge is sponsored by Fancy Pants Designs. I just love their stuff. The prize that you can win is amazing. It includes the beloved collection kit, buttons, decorative bags and ephemera pack!

Good luck xx

Fiona

Scrap it With Attitude February challenge

Scrap it with Attitude

I'm so happy to have been asked to join the Scrap it with Attitude team on face book as a designer. I already know a few of the team from Off the Rails Scrapbooking Blog and I knew that if it was anything like Off the Rails, that it would be fun to be a part of. I was right. The February Challenge was my first contribution and it was soooo much fun to do.

Here is my take on it.

The theme was "Love" and the colours chosen to use were simply divine. 

I used a Sketch from ScrapFriends (I just love their unique and amazing sketches) and I was ready to start creating.

I had a pretty nice photo of my darling husband (lol) that I'd wanted to scrap for a while now and the theme suited it well but the colours I was concerned about. Then I had an idea As I do! What if I made the page very geometric? Because that will often make a page look more masculine regardless of the colours.

Most of the triangles are cut from patterned paper (scraps mainly). The smaller triangles are made from Shrinky Dink. I Googled some patterns that would suit the layout, used my technical skills (ha ha) and created triangles to print onto the shrinky dink plastic. It prints through a printer well but you have to lower the colours by about 70% or they come out too dark. Remember with shrinky dinks, everything is 7 times. 7 times smaller, 7 times thicker and 7 times darker.

I also used a chevron washi tape from Kaszazz and small chevron stencil to add some texture to the layout over the triangles. Some black watered down gesso paint splats finished it off.

I'm pleased I managed to incorporate a masculine photo with such sweet colours and an even sweeter theme.

Pop on over to the Facebook page for the current challenge at Scrap it with Attitude and give it a go.

Cheers

Fiona
XX

Guest Designer at ScrapFriends for February

Guest Designer

February sketch challenge

Again I have to say what a privileged it is to be asked to be a Guest Designer over at ScrapFriends. The sketch number #22 was so much fun to play with. Zenova so cleverly put together a perfectly balanced sketch. I didn't go with love hearts, because my girl is a bit of a tomboy at times and I added lines of ribbon, arrows and so forth over the paint drips but that's me, I always struggle knowing when to stop.

I've put together a full step by step tutorial of how I put this page together so if your interested, follow this link over to the Off the Rails Scrapbooking Challenge Blog.

Here are some close ups of the layout.

For a full tutorial follow the link HERE to Off the Rails Scrapbooking Challenge Blog.

123 Challenge January

I always enjoy the challenges over at 123 Challenge Blog. They are always really challenging! I love that there is three things to take into consideration. This month I decided to give a canvas a go. I've only ever done one before, my Tim Holtz inspired quilt look that I attached to a canvas. You can check it out HERE. As you'll see, it's not a true canvas creation, so I wanted to give it another go and when this blog challenge came up, I thought, Perfect!

 

So here is my take on the challenge. The saying "Be brave enough to LIVE life creatively" is exactly what I believe. I wrote the words on a piece of cardstock in a font to suit the style. The word LIVE is made from chippies that I painted black so it would stand out.

 

The colour was perfect for my sunset photo and incorporating the word LIVE and feathers into the piece just made it even more special. The clear epoxy circle up in the right hand corner, is the actual colours from the challenge. I printed them to remind me what the three challenge parts were and at the end of the creation, I was looking for just the right piece to place in that corner. I don't know what made me think of it but I popped the clear circle over the top, trimmed it and it made the perfect embellishment!

 

 



I used Faber Castell Gelatos to create the background. I simply scribbled the yellow and red randomly over the canvas and added water to blend it together.

I also added some Lemon Zest Dylusions Ink Spray to the background along with red and black paint splats along with watered down black paint stamped on with two different sized cardboard rolls to create the paint circles.

 

The stamped feathers are a Kaszazz stamp that I just adore and use as often as I can and the white feather is from the Prima Resin collection. I only use these on very special projects.

 

The cross hatch stamp is from Kaisercraft. It's called Arty. Another one of my favourites because no matter what I put it on, it looks good!

 

 

The texture was created by applying modelling paste over a Dina Wakely designed stencil from Crafters Workshop called paint lids.

 

 

I've dressed up the rest of the canvas with some red and black thread, a little bit of black painted cheesecloth, some clear epoxy circle stickers that I would normally use for charm making, the odd brad and gem and a cute little teabag tag that says "Stay is a charming word in a girlfriend's vocabulary". Which is just perfect as this will become a gift for one of my girlfriends.

 

I hope you've enjoyed checking out this project. I certainly enjoyed creating it.

Cheers

 

Fiona xx

Once Upon a Sketch January Sketch Challenge

Lesson Learnt

This month over at Once Upon a Sketch the theme is "Lesson Learnt". I couldn't wait to do this sketch challenge as I had the perfect photo to use!

The sketch was a great guide. Another easy to follow sketch from Nadia Cannizzo. The background took all week to do. Not because it was difficult but because I've been really busy this week. I'd do one layer and then leave it a day to dry, then I'd come back the next night and do the next layer and so on until it was ready for photo's and embellishments.

I had bought some Prima Junkyard Findings car parts and had been waiting for just the right project to incorporate them into.

 

I also added a wooden embellishment that I painted with black Gesso and backed with red paper to help it stand out. There's no way I was going to miss capturing this moment!

The background paper is from a Tim Holtz collection of 12x12's called "Crowded Attic". I love these papers for rustic layouts.

 

I've also used some Chipboard "Chicken Wire" from Blue Fern Studios painted black. The square stamp is Prima Stitch Square and the stencil a 6x6 Checker Stencil from Prima.

 

Some Chevron washi tape from Kaszazz gives the piece a masculine affect. I wanted tyre tracks but of course I found it AFTER I had finished the page. I might add some on at a later date.

I also experimented with my Faber Castell Gelatos for the first time on this project. It gave a real richness of colour in spots throughout the background.

My journaling is hand written as usual and this time I've tried to use a scrawly font. The sentiment is a bit cheeky as our 4WD mate will often take a chance. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Either way it's always fun.

All in all, I'm quite happy with the way this turned out. I haven't used red as a main colour much but I think it worked really well with this pair of photos.

Thanks for popping over and checking my challenge sketch piece out.

Cheers

Fiona

Scrap Around the World January Challenge

I can't believe it's over half way through January already! This month always flies by. So fast in fact, that I begin to feel the pressure of the end of the month looming. It's good. It kicks my butt into gear!

Scrap Around the World's challenge always interests me every month and this is my take on the January Mood Board.

The mood board was beautiful. Soft, beachy, pastel colours that reminded me of warm summer evenings down the beach right on sunset.

My friend and partner in Scrapping Sandi, took this amazing photo when we were down at Beachport the other night after our 4th in a row scorching 47°C day! (second hottest city in the WORLD that day). So, seeing that it was a memorable week for me and a perfect photo, I just had to use it on this layout.

The back ground is inspired by Louise Nelson's minimalist style. I've wanted to give this a go for sometime now but to be honest it scares me. I'm not that confident with watercolours yet and I still need a lot more practice but I achieved the soft textured background I was aiming for (sort of).

I took inspiration from the pink in the tea cups and the blue in the ocean. The stencil I used is Crafters Workshop mini damask 6x6 template layered in a combination of "Victroian Velvet" Distress Ink Stain and Perfect Pearls Mists "Turquoise". 

I placed some stain into my paint tray and watered it down before applying it to the paper with a large paint brush. Then i sprayed the Mist over the top and allowed it to dry.

I coloured two of the three white Prima flowers from the Innocence Collection the same way I did the background colour and added a Prima flower Vine, "Fairy Rhymes" to frame the photo. A circle of tapestry threads in coordinating colours sets it all off.

This really was a magical evening. I feel so lucky living in this part of the world, even when it does get freakishly hot! Our beaches are easy to access and perfect for relaxing on. I have many fond memories of spending days and nights on this beach all through out my childhood and into my adult years and I'm sure I'll be making even more wonderful memories just like this one in the near future.

Thanks for popping by.

Cheers

Fiona

Creative Scrappers Challenge Sketch #259

Sketch Challenge #259

When I saw this sketch challenge over at Creative Scrappers I knew it was one I wanted to have a go at this month. This is my take on the sketch.

This is their sketch #259. You can check it out HERE. There is so much inspiration on the blog. I always love to check out their blog.

 I like to do monthly challenges that actually "Challenge" me not just the ones that automatically appeal to my style. This one was so far out of my comfort zone! I interpreted the sketch along the lines of a "Project Life" kind of style, something I've never really attempted before.

I water painted 4 colourful squares on and went from there. I wanted to have the squares appear stitched together, like a quilt. But I don't own a stitch stamp so I had to get creative.

I have a stitch embossing folder so I tried this first using the raised edge as a sort of stamp but seeing it's plastic and not rubber, the ink didn't take to it very well. It gave a sort of zig zag stitch look but not enough for me.

So I hand drew the rest on around the outside of the squares and then I remembered I had a straight line stamp. So I added this sort of over the hand drawn stitches and it really looked effective. 

I tried to still use all the techniques I normally would with a layout. So there is stamping and stenciling all over the page but within the parameters of the squares.

Once I added all the little embellishments and the title I was really amazed at what I'd created and I'm already thinking of other ways I can create with this sketch.

Thank you for popping over and checking out my latest challenge.

I'm also on Face Book you can find me HERE

or you can follow me on Blog Lovin.

Cheers xxx Fiona

Guest Designer for January at Scrap Friends

Guest Designer

What an awesome opportunity to be a Guest Designer over at Scrap Friends. I absolutely love their sketch challenges. The layouts are always brilliant and this one was no exception.

Being Christmas, I was under the pump a little to get this one completed and I have to admit it's not exactly as I'd planned but I still like it.

Turquoise and red would have to be my favourite colour combo for anything Christmas orientated. There is no "theme" with this sketch but seeing we've just had Christmas and I've been in festive mode for a couple of weeks now, I thought it would be fun to scrap me at Christmas time.

The mixed media on this page is not done any justice by the photographs! There is virtually layer upon layer of paint, watercolour, texture paste, washi tape and stamping in this background. It was so much fun!

I used Indigoblu rubber stamps A6 bubbles background for the first time. I think this is going to be my fav for a while! Put it this way, I'm already devising a way to use it on my next layout.

The chippies are from Um Wow Studio. this time I've used plain mini Polaroid frames and gear mash I felt there was no need to colour them as they have a beautiful rustic look about them just as they are.

Pop on over to Scrap Friends and under the "challenges" tab you'll see sketch #21. Give it a go, It's heaps of fun to do.

Cheers

Fiona