sea breezes

Scrapbook Tournament - round four!

I made it through to the fourth round of the scrapbook tournament, each round fifty percent of the contestants from each group stay on for the next challenge. This time it was a double page layout, at least eight photographs, at least three hidden elements on the page, no ink (including spray ink and misting ink), no paint of any sort, no stamps, no gesso, no chalk. I think I missed ink and chalk the most in this round, I like to define the edges more on my paper elements but I can always add them after the contest.

I decided to use photographs of our grandson, he was one recently. The close up photographs were taken my my very talented friend, Cheryl, she owns Feelgood photos and kindly let me use them in my layout. She also took the photograph of Bobby with his camera smile!

I have made all of my layouts this year from supplies I already own, I would have liked to use some little boy papers but I managed with what I had. All of the bunting was hand cut - I don't think I will be using any more for a long time!

The fist hidden element is under the left hand photograph, when you pull the tab at the top a photograph appears at the top and bottom on a sliding mechanism.

The second hidden element is a pull up flap under the two smaller photographs, there are two more photos that pop up underneath.

The third element is under the right photograph, it has a pop up birthday cake, tiny bunting and a photograph of Bobby opening his present from us.

I would like to get through again, obviously but if nothing else it has made me scrapbook again and I am thoroughly enjoying myself.

Round 3 Scrap tournament

Well I made it to round three and this week's challenge was to include doodling, no flowers or people anywhere and only hand drawn lettering for the title and journaling directly onto the layout. I managed quite well until I realised the patterned paper I used for my dress form had flowers on it and had to be replaced!

I used water colour ink based pencils for colouring in and a Sharpie white pen for the photographs, unfortunately the paper has gone a bit wrinkled from the water but it should flatten out in time. I drew the title and coloured it in to look like a sewing pattern.

I used ribbon and lace scraps for embellishments

and coloured in some hand cut hearts

The rules stated four or more photographs with doodling on two of them

I'm happy to get this done on time as I've been busy all week, I think it's my favourite layout for the competition so far. I didn't have much time and it was hard trying to concentrate when this little dog kept coming for cuddles, how can anyone resist those eyes? Maybe she was trying to say sorry for tipping my waste bin over!

 

The Tatty Trailer - my new studio space

Since moving out from Pickleberry when Kate relocated to the Midlands I have had my scrapbook and craft supplies boxed up and stored in an outbuilding with just a few bits and pieces in what was the front porch of our house. I was tempted to take over one of the spare rooms as a craft room but we often have family to stay and need both rooms, there wouldnt be enough space for a bed and all of my stuff.

I looked at wood cabins but they cost way too much for the size I wanted so I decided to look for an old static caravan and strip it out, that way it could be placed wherever I wanted and the electrics would already be in place. In October 2012, after a seeing a few on Ebay I saw an old park home unit, 41" x 10' and in decent shape, I decided to spend up to £1500 and actually got it for £1000 which was just as well because the transportation was way more than I thought!

I was quite nervous spending so much money on something I hadn't seen and the transport was going to cost £850 so it was a huge risk for me. What if it came and it was all falling apart? I paid for it through Pay Pal just so that I had some protection if things went wrong but I was very lucky. After a few tense days I found a great company nearby to collect it from Ipswich for me, four men took a Landrover and an articulated lorry to collect it and drive it back to me. They were delayed on the journey back down to Kent so kept it overnight and delivered the next day. It took them two hours with the lead vehicle to guide the lorry through the single track lanes to our house and then struggled to get up the steep track to the house. They had to fasten the landrover to the lorry to help pull it up

The men took hours to site the trailer at the bottom of our garden. Its about 150m from the house but it faces south and gets the sun all day, the trees behind protect it from the wind. We had to get the bank around the garden dug out and relocate the gate but it was worth the work. 

The inside was very dated but nothing some hard work and paint couldn't fix up. Unfortunately the weather got worse and work would have to wait until spring but in the meantime I looked for bargain furniture on Ebay.

 

Round two...

Well I scraped through to round two of the competition and was planning to get started last week on my layout but I have been unwell and yesterday had to go and help my son move house after their removal man let them down.

Still, I had an idea of what I wanted to do and had chosen photographs so it wasn't too stressful getting it done on time.

The challenge was a monochromatic layout with balck and white photographs, one of which had to stretch across both pages. I would have liked to cut more shapes and used chalks and inks for shading but I strugled to find something suitable in my stash.

I cut the title and punched the flowers out of the cardstock background then mounted it on foamcore board with darker pink paper behind. The little punched flowers were mounted with silicon for a 3D effect. I painted metal embellishments with acrylic paint and stamped papers with distress ink for the bunting patterns

I'm still here!

After using Facebook I haven't really bothered with my blog, in fact I havent bothered with it at all and I have enjoyed the time away. It's been too long to catch up so I'm just going to carry on as if I was never missing and try to update links as and when I have time.

So, the reason for starting is that I entered a scrapbook competition because my Greek friends have entered and it looked fun. Until I realised that it is at least a couple of years since I scrapped a 12x12 layout. I needed to upload my layout and everyone else has blogs for theirs so here I am again.

The subject for the layout was given as 1000 steps from your home and there have been some amazing layouts entered which put me off starting. The deadline was yesterday and true to form I left it until... yesterday. My best friend Helen came down and we went down to my new studio for a few hours armed with Marmite crisps, biscuits and coffee (thanks Helen). I managed to put the layout together in time to photograph it before dark but when I looked at the others it seemed old fashioned, like looking back over old stuff. Still, it made me want to do more and there's always Pinterest to see what the latest trends are to see if I can get a bit more 'with it' for my next pages.

This is my entry, I should have given myself more time because I don't like the title and I would have liked to tweak it more and embellish it further but it's done and I quite like it anyway.

The corrigated 'tin' was made from painted pieces of card but it looked too flat so I mixed darker paint and UTEE to paint on without heating it as I didnt want it to look glossy. The eggs are polystyrene shapes cut in half. All of the supplies are a few years old dug out of my stash.

Another catch up

It's been a busy few weeks with lots going on but not much to show for it.

Our middle son was married and Georgina was a bridesmaid, she is nearly fifteen and quite grown up

Alexander finished his Civil Engineering degree and will do his masters next but at a different university so I went up to collect him, his girlfriend and their belongings from Newcastle. They have been together for five years now and are quite settled. The journey was a long and slow one, over eight hours there and seven back. 

It's good to have them home again, he was eager to drive the ride on tractor but his grass cutting left a lot to be desired, he's good at crop circles though - we will probably start seing UFOs soon

I shopped at a local flea market and found some vintage index cards, an old velvet skirt to cut up, a lovely old paint tin and some old buttons

This month's WI craft night was scrapbooking and Helen showed our ladies how to make this flip-flap album

I taught an altered book class at Pickleberry, I used some test tubes and bottles bought at the flea market in Athens earlier this year. I called it "The Apothecary's Secret"

Junk Journal with Doodle papers

I love these Doodle Deux papers from Prima, I used them for my Junk Journal class last week and again for my Scrapbook class this Tuesday, they are great colours and go with all sorts of photographs. 

I made a file folder for the back of my book with a magnetic fastening then stuck a magnet to a pen to store in the little nook. My ladies struggled a bit at first with the construction of the folder but once they realised how it all fit together they managed perfectly. When it came to making the book itself we managed the basics but ran out of time for quite a few ideas. We all enjoyed the class so much we decided to meet up one evening to add more details to our pages so the next session will be lots of cutting and gluing.

More classes

I have been playing in my new craft nook at home over the weekend, the weather has been pants and I haven't been very well so it was lovely to have supplies at home and somewhere to craft. I have a couple of new workshops on the go but still to finish and one planned for this Saturday. It's a junk journal, like a home made smash book but with book rings instead of spiral binding. That way you can add to it withough having to glue everything in. There is a file folder in the back and a pocket for glue and a pen. If you would like to come you can book HERE

This a photo of one I made earlier but the next one is made with Prima Doodle Deux papers

Altering door knobs - instructions

After painting my dresser I wanted to replace the knobs with some of the 7 Gypsies ones but they are £4 each and I needed ten. I just couldn't justify another £40 on top of the cost of the paint I used. I found some cream porcelain knobs at The Range for £1 each and they looked fine. I was going to decorate them somehow, I tried to stamp them but the stamp slipped and smudged. I managed to get a clear image but it just didn't look right.

After an internet search I found some transfer paper to make decals but it seemed a lot of faffing around, spraying the printed image three times and a lot of waiting in between. I'm fed up with waiting this week after all of that painting and I didn't want to wait for the post. I thought about gel medium transfer but decided just to try and stick images straight onto the knobs. It worked really well, I'm over the moon with the results, it was so quick and easy.

I found some images on the internet and resized them to the same size of the knobs. I just used my inkjet printer on some ordinary printer paper. Once printed I cut them out carefully

I used some Glue and Seal, I always use matte finish for my art journals, it dries very quickly and gives a protective coat. I brished some directly onto each knob

I then placed the image straight onto the knob, making sure it was centered. I found it easier doing this while they were in situ, it's difficult to get the images in the right place when the knobs are screwed back on.

Using the brush I coated the paper with more Glue & Seal which made it more pliable. Using the brish I smoothed the paper over the curve of the knob.

I smoothed the wrinkles out with my finger (well, most of them anyway) and left it to dry. 

Because the knobs are porcelain, the images can be scraped off and new ones added to change the look of the furniture. Once dry the tiny wrinkles are barely noticeable.

 

Sorting and arranging....

I finally finished painting on Friday and waited as long as I could for the paint to dry. It's still a bit soft but I decided to go ahead and start putting everything away, the pile of boxes in the ajoining living room were driving me mad.

I had a couple of vintage suitcases in the loft so I used them to store quilt wadding, toy stuffing etc

I used the plate rack to store papers and cardstock, they just fit in, the folder has some stamps. There are a few sewing books and my most recent Somerset Studio magazines. The hat box has my wool and crocheting hooks, I don't have much because I am learning and I am quite rubbish at it.

There are buttons, odd embellishments, glue sticks etc in my tins but as yet most of them are empty, they will fill up over time no doubt

The old box in the next photograph is full of hand made tatting, a gift from one of the older WI ladies, she thought I would be able to use it in a project. It was a gift to her from the husband of a friend who died. There is quite a lot of it and I love the old box it was kept in.