Vintage Affair ATCs

I made these for the May ATC swap at UK Stampers with the theme of A Vintage Affair. I really struggled as I could not find any suitable vintage stamps in my stash and I am not allowing myself to buy anything until I win the lottery... or receive a massive pay rise. I found three images on Graphics Fairy and began creating backgrounds for them. I applied distress ink to some of TH Kraft resist paper and matched images and bits and bobs and thought I was ready to go... but wait no stamping - quick rethink. Does anyone else begin with an idea in their head only to discover the finished item is totally different?

I used TH Shabby French and Spooky scroll stamps on the backgrounds and then embossed and inked them some more. I also stamped over the images.

It worked quite well with this one and then I added the flower things that I had coloured with alcohol inks, a piece of inch ruler and little bit of text.

I also sprayed some inks on this one and mixed some Blonde Moments pigments to give it a shiny effect. The lace is antique (my grandmother's) and I then sewed on pieces of a broken bracelet.

I ended up redoing the background on this one by using dictionary definitions and adding distress ink and an embossed stamp. I added the image and stamped around the edge. More lace and then some buttons and ribbon. I made the ribbon flower and added it to. I like them all but think the first one is my favourite. 

Thank you for dropping by - I always appreciate the comments people take the time to make.

Using 6 photo page protectors

This works well for a group of mismatched photos in a larger album

I have so many photos for mum's album and they do not easily lend themselves to one or two layouts so I decided to use a 6 photo page protector (American Crafts) and embellish it like a scrapbook page - something I learnt from Shimelle's class. I mounted each photograph onto a different coloured patterned mount (all brown/orange) and then stuck ribbon down the centre and then made a loop bow and sewed it on using a button.

Simple loops in ribbon sewn onto ribbon below and held in place with button

I used Jenny Bowlin corrugated letters and inked and painted them to spell her initials. Finally the Martha Stewart flower punch was used on the scraps of mount paper and the flowers were stuck on top of the page protector. I am now created a lo to go opposite this in the album continuing he paper and colours started here and hopefully in the album it will work well...

Inked and painted letters and punched flower embellishments

I should also say these are not colours I would normally be drawn to but I think they work well with the black and white/sepia photos.

Pretty in Pink

Simple and lots of "white space"

This is a simple layout using a photo of mum as a young girl that was tinted with colour. The paper and embellishments came from a DCWV set called all about the girls. I used a ribbon to make flower and provide a bow detail and numerous small brads. I used a Martha Stewart lace punch to make the dotty edging and cut out text strips for the other edges. I stamped the title on patterned paper and then cut it out and stuck it on.

I cut ribbon into strips sewed in a cross and then looped over and sewed together with a button

Liberal use of brads and ribbons

Ribbon Girl giveaway

Check out this fabulous ribbon giveaway at Ribbon Girl.

Digital to hybrid take 2

Continuing with my Oxford album and my experiments taking digital layouts to hybrid. I created the basic layout in iScrapbook and once I printed it out I set to work making it my own. I used the Stacy Marks "Courtship" papers from Two Peas in a Bucket as background and layering papers and the ticket embellishment. The first pic is the digital lo and the second shows the final lo. First I inked round the edges using black and red Stazon ink.

Yellow and red pastels were added to ink layers

Red and black ink added to edges and page

Crucial element - smudge with fingers

 Next I used pink elastic and ribbon to create a ruffle that I stapled on and then added some brads to. Finally I created a ribbon flower with a button at its centre.

ribbon and elastic to create a ruffle

Ribbon flower with button centre

Ribbon ruffle

111 items on the page and using Lens Guy camera

I was responding to the sticker prompt and discovered I had managed to get 111 items on the page. Quite a feat on an acrylic page. As youngest daughter is in China on a school trip (luckiest child ever) and taken my super easy point and click compact with her I am using Lens Guy's work camera. The body and lens are so heavy I can hardly lift the thing. I could give you all the boring details about shutter speeds and stuff and lens type but basically it's a pro users cannon camera.  I enjoyed doing this layout as although I buy stickers I don't use them very often. I enjoyed randomly putting eyelets around photos and I used the mix of colours to try and tie in with the letters I had chosen. I had two small alphabets that had very different colour schemes and no letter As so decided the eyelets would work as an A. The pics below show what the page would like with my homemade dots paper behind - think that might happen. A pic of the back of the page - I really don't make life easy for myself, plus a pic of the edge of the album as it takes shape. I like how all the paper, ribbon and lace edges are beginning to work together.

Friday challenge lo and I hate burglars!!!!

Here are pics and more details of Shimelle's friday challenge. Had intended to spend today doing lots more but evil bxxxxxxx burglars broke into our house whilst we were sleeping last night and stole lots of stuff. Today not a good day. Will explain techniques etc tomorrow when more time. I want my ipod, daughter's laptop etc back. I suppose no-one was hurt but still....

Ribbon prompts

I did find a little time to make a shimelle rose and gather some more ribbon for a layout. But it didn't seem right for the mini book so created a 12x12 page. I also played with ribbon winding it round pieces of chipboard and creating ribbon flowers. The lilac rose was made by gathering a short length and sewing it in and moving on. It's unique as I don't think I could make it again exactly the same. Not sure what I will use it for yet. The green/blue embellishments will probably feature on the mini book somewhere. Absolutely exhausted tonight and no energy for anything but an early night. Perhaps tomorrow I can start gathering and working on the cardstock scraps...