A couple of layouts

*sigh* I've fallen behind with the blogging again. I'll blame life (yet again). This time I have a couple of layouts to share- they have been completed for the competition going on at Scrapz.biz.


Inspired by the "Happy Little Vegemites" famous series of ads. The diamonds in the corner were created by sanding the paper over a cuttlebug embossing folder and then inking the folder and carefully using it as a sort of stamp over the top. It's nice to be able to use them in a layout and not just on cards :)


Inspired by the "Not Happy Jan" Yellow Pages ad. Loved getting a chance to play with the Basic Grey Oliver collection. Great quality rub-ons. My tip when using rub-ons is lots of waxed paper (or baking paper) over everything else to protect the rest of the sheet from accidentally rubbing off onto your photos. It saves you from having the cut the sheet.

Scrap that Ad round 1

My entry for the first round of Scrap That Ad happening over at Scrapz.biz. Can I just say I am very excited about exploring more uses for the Tim Holtz tissue tape!

Supplies:
Paper Basic Grey, My Minds Eye journal block, Pink Paislee die cut.
Alpha unknown- painted black and coated with Doodlebug black glitter
Other: Tim Holtz tissue tape, old postage stamps

Organising cardstock

I spent some time on the weekend trying to get my cardstock more organised. I have ended up with quite a lot of cardstock from Papertrey Ink (and it is terrific quality- thick and smooth for stamping) and needed to get it sorted. Enter some wooden file holders from IKEA, designed as magazine holders I guess. While I was at it I decided to make a large swatch of my PTI cardstock for helping my choose colours for projects. Isn't it a beautiful sight?

Papertrey July Blog Hop Challenge: office supplies

This is my first PTI blog hop, so an extra special welcome to any hopping visitors! I was very taken with the theme of using office supplies this month, and really tried to rack my brains to come up with interesting things to use.

In the end my supply list included paperclips, a staple, a shipping tag, a price tag and masking tape. And here they all are:


My favourite part of this card is the embossed background. I'm sure you can work out what I used! If you are keen to give this a go yourself, here is how I did it...


I scattered paperclips on a magnetic sheet which I have backed with grip mat. I used the magnetic sheet to combat any sliding around of the paperclips, but it would probably work just as well on a piece of chipboard. I used a Cuttlebug to do the embossing, sandwhich as follows (bottom up): A plate, B plate, magnetic sheet with paperclips on it, cardstock, polymer embossing mat, B plate.


Voila! Just be careful that you don't force anything through your machine that doesn't want to go- you'll break your plates. Got any other ideas for embossing with 'ordinary' items? I'd love to hear them!

My other tip is to try stamping on masking tape. It's kinda like DIY decorative tissue tape!


I tore a strip of tape and put it on some acetate so I could remove it after stamping, then used Papertrey Ink Background Basics text style and black StazOn ink. When it is dry, just remove it gently from the acetate and add it to your project.

Thanks so much for stopping by- I hope you found something fun, useful or inspirational to take with you. If you have the time, I'd really appreciate a comment :)

Card supplies
Paper: Papertrey Ink ripe avocado, kraft; Roman Print white cardstock 300gsm.
Stamps: Papertrey Ink background basics text style, fillable frames #1; Hero Arts galaxy of stars; postal stamps unknown.
Ink: Colorbox chestnut pigment ink, burnt sienna fluid chalk; Hero Arts soft pool shadow ink; Papertrey Ink vintage cream; StazOn black.
Tools: Cuttlebug; Papertrey Ink die fillable frames #1; Tim Holtz tiny attacher.
Other: shipping tag, masking tape, jute string, small price tag, foam adhesive

Welcome Poppy

My favourite cards are the ones I personalise for the recipients. Some friends had their first baby recently, and she is named Poppy. What a perfect opportunity to use this poppy image from Hero Arts!


First I stamped Papertrey Ink Background Basics:text style on rustic white cardstock using Distress Ink (tattered rose). Over this I stamped Poppy Background using versafine ink (sepia). The background has been stamped using PTI polka dot basics, versamark ink and Pearl Ex (pearl) powder added. The sentiment is also PTI- fillable frames #5.

More felt goodness

Still in love with the Papertrey Ink felt. Another card, this time with a die cut felt flower.


For this card I stamped some leaves on rustic white cardstock with spring moss ink, trimmed the piece to a rectangle but cut around the leaves on the edge. I inked the edges with antique linen Distress Ink. The flower is made of a base layer of die cut ocean tides felt, topped with a die cut layer of rustic white cardstock stamped with Background Basics: text style using tattered rose Distress Ink. The edges were inked and a button applied to the middle.

Add a sentiment, some ribbon and some faux stitching with a uniball signo white gel pen.

Felt, wonderful felt

I think I get extra excited when two different hobbies come together in some way, and for this reason I am having a real thing for felt at the moment. This felt from Papertrey Ink is 100% wool, absolutely gorgeous stuff!



I'm torn between making a million and one different things with it and hoarding it in my stash forever! This is the first project it has gone towards- a baby card for some friends expecting soon. I drew the peapod shape on some tissue paper and used it as a pattern to cut the shape from the felt, then backstitched the detail by hand with cotton embroidery floss.



The sentiment and frame is more PTI goodness- Fillable Frames #5. I used the co-ordinating die to deboss the shape that the frame is stamped in. The cuttlebug sandwhich was (bottom up) A plate, B plate, thick cardstock shim, die cutting side down, cardstock centered over die, polymer embossing mat, B plate.