My Creative Scrapbook June 2013 Tutorial - How to Create Flower Tendrils

Hello there :)  Just a tiny tutorial share from me today!  I am behind on my creative schedule due to various reasons - so I'm having another creative day today & need to make the most of it.

This is my tutorial for My Creative Scrapbook for this month.  If you are ever looking for inspiration (like who isn't?!)  I strongly suggest you click in to the 'Design Team Gallery' HERE.  (I'll have to come back in & edit this post as I can't click into it right now - think it must be down for maintenance).  

We are a team of 19 international designers all of different styles & strengths so it really is a diverse showcase on product usage & is updated on a monthly basis as we create with the latest kits.

This is really just a little 'tip' & perhaps some of you do this already - I never really know - so I try to sometimes 'point out the obvious' because I remember that what is obvious to me now wasn't so some years back.

I never like to waste anything & I used to cut off these flower wires & throw them in the trash.  Ooooh if only I hadn't done that I'd have tendrils to keep me going for the rest of time!  Oh well!! Have a great Sunday & if you can, go get creative!!!

My Creative Scrapbook Kit Club Limited Edition Kit June 2013

Hello there!  Crazy busy week for me this week & this weekend will be even more so!!  Just popping in to show you an overview of what I did with this gorgeous kit this month.

You can sign up for My Creative Scrapbook Kits HERE.

They're fantastic value for money & the service & community are GREAT!

Just look at this long list of WHAT YOU GET!!!

DIY Shop 12x12 double sided papers

• Measurements
  Vintage
  Project
  Crafty
  Decor
  Artistry
  paper clippings
  found
• Heidi Swapp paper
• DIY Shop Accent Stickers
• Pink Paislee Luxe Circles
  Pink Paislee Luxe ABC 
  DIY Shop Ephemera
  DIY shop layered stickers
• Cottage Farms Burlap flowers
• Prima Flower six
• Vintage Trinkets 9 metal flowers
• Pink Paislee muslin trim
• 2 red paper roses
  2 yellow roses
• green sheer ribbon
  cream ribbon
  
  
  Pop into the Design Team Gallery HERE - prepare to be INSPIRED!!!!
  There are loads of layouts created each month by a large & diverse team.
  
  
  
  
  
  I started with this layout above because I couldn't wait to use the "Viewfinder" die-cut from Crate Paper 'DIY Shop'!
  
  
  
  
  
  Next I created this layout above, because I was just dying to cut up that gorgeous Pink Paislee Luxe grid circle die-cut!
  
  
  
  
  
  Next I created this layout above because I just love Mel C's song 'I Turn To You' & always have :)
  
  
  
  
  
  Finally I created this layout so I could have the chance to use up some of those lush burlap flowers from the new Pink Paislee Cottage Farms Collectiion!!
  
  
  If you are thinking about subscribing to these kits WAIT NO MORE because very soon they are going to be full of the latest & greatest NEW CHA product!  
  
  
  I will be back as soon as I can with close-ups of all of these layouts as well as my monthly My Creative Scrapbook tutorial to share.
  
  
  Have an awesome weekend & thanks so much for visiting!
  
  
  
  
  
  

Off-The-Page {Cabinet} project for Scrapmatts {Using LOTS of Prima & Purple Pumpkin!}

This is my 2nd project for the month of May, up at Scrapmatts HERE.

I just adored making this altered project - the cabinet! {CB7011 Memory Cabinet 01}. 

 May I just say that this is the MOST AWESOME OFF-THE-PAGE ITEM

 I have ever come across for sale!!

  Hats off to Scrapmatts for putting together this absolutely DARLING piece!

I think this item would be IDEAL for a class as everyone can customise this to exactly

 the way they want - it is FUN to decorate & I have never constructed something

 like this myself before so I felt a big sense of achievement when it stuck together

 & didn't collapse  {it comes flat-packed with excellent instructions on how to assemble}.

Once I had glued all the pieces of the cabinet together I painted it with an undercoat

 of cheap gesso {I always do this in preparation when I am painting as it is a good

 base & saves other, more expensive paints being absorbed by the wood or chipboard.

Then I painted a fairly thick coat of Ranger Crackle Paint in "Picket Fence" 

which is just a fancy name for white.  This paint is incredibly awesome

 & the thicker you put it on - the deeper the cracks!  I'm impatient so I 

dried mine off with my heat (embossing) gun to literally WATCH

 the cracks appear - it's like magic!!

Then I inked the edges randomly with dark brown archival ink

 (better staying power than chalk ink) & rubbed over some places 

with Ranger Liquid Pearls in Buttercup & Cantaloupe

 (these work just like metallic paint but are cheaper & take up less space to store!)

I used various Scrapmatts Words (CB1198 Scrap Words 06) -

 these are a MUST-HAVE for your stash - incredibly useful!!  

I inked mine in dark brown then added a swipe of 

yellow & orange & a little gesso sponging.

I added a big Prima Rose resin to the top of my cabinet which I also treated

 in the same way as the words.  I use HOT GLUE for all my Off-The-Page

 projects as it is by far the strongest but be careful - handling a glue-gun

 can result in burning yourself (which I do regularly LOL).

I am an embellishment addict so - aswell as decorating the inside of the cabinet 

I added a couple of Prima vines to the outside too :-p  I always cut these up 

& re-connect them to suit the area I am covering - I sponged these with dark 

brown ink on the leaves, yellow & orange on the blooms & gesso all over!!

I added a few dots of Liquid Pearls along the top edge too - these run 

& smudge so you need to add them last then leave them to dry overnight.

I hope you will give this OTP page project a try!  

It would make the most awesome customised gift for someone 

on an occasion like a wedding for example.  TOTALLY unique!!

I used plenty of Purple Pumpkin products on both this project 

& the layout I showed yesterday.  Go HERE to follow the 

Purple Pumpkin blog & click into their online store to shop!

"Summer" Layout - Scrapmatts Colour Challenge {Purple Pumpkin}

I got this page done for my monthly blog post

 up at Scrapmatts HERE last month.

I created the layout according to a colour challenge 

set for the Design Team - Black, white & yellow.  

As STAMPING was the current CHALLENGE in the forum I decided to

 incorporate that too!!  I began this page by creating the mixed-media

 paper using the black wood-grain paper, gesso, black & yellow mist

 (flicked on to make splats) & a Kaisercraft bubble-wrap stamp.  

Mixed media is NOT difficult but it is TIME-CONSUMING & you WILL 

mess it up if you don't dry off your layers between the application of 

different mediums.  A good, strong heat gun is your closest ally!

Once I had my background paper made I decided it was too "heavy" & not Summery enough so I used a white cardstock base instead & tore my black, mixed-media base paper then adhered it to the white cardstock at the top & bottom, tearing the edge & inking it with yellow.  Thus began the whole composition of my page!

I also stamped the bubble-wrap stamp onto the white cardstock underneath

 that AWESOME heart-punch design {Martha Stewart must have item!}

 & added random Liquid Pearl dots scattered all over my layout.

I used more Scrapmatts words here - this time the black ones from the CB1197 Scrap Words 05 pack - I am addicted to these - such a great new addition to the Scrapmatts store!  I also used the word "SUMMER" for my title - SW005 Summer 01. 

 I sponged it with white acrylic paint (so that it wasn't smooth) then dried it off with my heat gun close up to create bubbles from the heat - then inked it with black (mainly at the bottom) & yellow (mainly at the top). I ♥the outcome!

I had fun with the butterflies too as you can see :)  I used the CB1006 Butterflies 06 set which sells for only $3.18!  Bargain!!  I sponged with white acrylic, inked with black & yellow then sprayed with spray adhesive & dipped in microbeads - delicious!!

I also added some torn strips of washi tape to the base section of my page then sealed

 the entire section off using Matte medium (to prevent smudging or peeling).

  This is a must have mixed media supply!

Limiting your colour palette always creates

 an eye-catching page - why don't you give it a try?!

Altered Foam Bath Bottle Step-by-Step Tutorial

 So I started out with this bottle of Foam Bath for my Off-The-Page

 project commissioned by Yvonne Yam from Do More with Less -

 for her 3rd free online workshop "Let's Get Trendy! 3" 

which you can read about HERE and sign up for HERE.  

You still have until the end of June to play along for prizes & see

 many, many awesome examples based on 5 key trends at the moment!

1.  Choose a nice, smooth bottle to begin with.

2.  Peel off the label & remove any leftover residue

 using thinners/turpentine/benzine or the like.

3.  Choose some pretty paper to cover part 

of your bottle with & measure, mark & cut.

4.  Adhere using thick double-sided tape for extra strength.

5.  Carefully wrap your paper around your bottle using the grid

 lines on your cutting mat to guide you, to ensure that you're

 staying straight  & matching up when you reach the other side.

6.  Now measure up another piece of paper against your first piece, then cut it down about 2 inches (10cm) narrower than your first piece but the same length as before.

7.  Now take your prettiest punch & punch

 both sides of your narrower paper.

8.    Ink up the edges if desired.

9.  Adhere double-sided tape all the

 way across the length & the width.

10.  Use a strip of Prima adhesive bling lace 

to wrap around the middle of your papers.

11.  Stand back & admire how your project thus far!

12.  Add more adhesive bling to the top & the bottom of the paper.

13.  Choose a Prima vine from your stash 

(yup you really need these on hand at all times!) 

& ink it up to bring out the colour (if desired).

14.  Grab a piece of muslin from your pre-dyed muslin stash (or grab a piece then spray it with mist - spraying also with water to dilute & mix the colour to a soft shade) - do this over a big plastic shopping bag that you have cut down the side & bottom & opened up to provide a non-porous area to work, which is also easy to clean.  Use your hands to squeeze the muslin & rub it into the ink droplets until you are happy with the colour distribution then dry off with a heat gun, holding the cloth with tweezers to avoid burning yourself.

15.  Adhere your muslin using lots of hot glue underneath & an old credit card to push it down to stick (because if you use your fingers you will burn them!). Once you are happy with the "drape" of your muslin adhere your Prima vine using hot glue too.

16.  Hot -glue all your embellishments on.  I used a glass pebble & some Prima trinkets as well as some printed bunting cut from some Prima packaging, then seal your entire creation using a spray varnish (mine is glittery!!) or modge podge or gel medium, although a spray is obviously easier. 

17.  There you have it! 

 Enjoy & admire your creation!!  

Then give it away to a good friend or let it 

take up residence alongside your tub :) 

It should be splash free now!

I used ALL Prima products on my bottle, except for the muslin,

 which I bought at the pharmacy, & the mist which comes from

 Studio Calico - Mister. Huey's (Cameo) & the glass pebble that 

comes from a home store here, Mr. Price!

I mixed various Prima collections here, using paper from the new 

Divine collection & 'Say-it-in-Crystals' from last year's 

collections. With Prima product you can be sure that almost 

everything matches with everything else, making your crafting life 

that little bit easier, & all their products are top quality too.  

However, of course, you can follow along & make

 something similar with whatever you have on hand! 

 Thanks for stopping by & have a lovely week!

'Unforgettable' Layout - Purple Pumpkin June Sketch {plus ANOTHER mini "mixed media" related tutorial!}

I made a decision earlier this year to stick to blogging during the week & take the weekends off but that's actually proved impossible because I have an obligation to my design teams to share certain things by certain dates so the posts roll on! 

 I actually do my best to get all my blog posts prescheduled on a Sunday.  It's a mammoth exercise but this is an online record of my work & having experienced 2 hard-drive crashes in the last year & lost my last year's worth of photographs & emails I'm driven to continue!!

So this is the new sketch up at Purple Pumpkin, together with my layout.  There are some exciting new rules for their sketch challenge so check them out HERE & play along to win some Purple Pumpkin goodies for yourself!!

In the post on the Purple Pumpkin site you will see the list of all the Purple Pumpkin stash I used.  Finally my box of new goodies arrived recently for the next 6 months so I now have plenty to choose from again!  

Their online store HERE is ever so easy to navigate & finding things is super simple - I used the resin roses, washi tape, ruffle flower & black & white spotty fabric-covered buttons.

I have had to be using older photos lately because my printer cartridges have run out & finding new one's is proving challenging & time-consuming here - they are always 'on order' but never seem to arrive....grrrrrr...so the photo is bigger than what I like to use these days - so I reduced it by punching it with my new heart punch rather than cutting it down.

I started with plain white cardstock & got all those giant 

black splatters and awesome specks using this amazing new tool!  

I used a Faber Castel Gelato together with my little Prima grid mask for adding the yellow checkers around the edge of my page.  It looked too clean & not quite 'me' so I added these as a finishing touch!  Thanks as always for your support & comments!!  I do love them & try my best to return as many as I can!!!

Let's Get Trendy! 3 'Textured Layers' Altered Foam Bath Bottle

Finally - here is my project that's up today at Let's Get Trendy! 3

 HERE.  I blogged about it last week HERE - it's the FREE online

 workshop that I am a part of - we are focusing on 5 trends & there

 are 32 of us providing {hopefully!} inspiring projects for

 everyone & there are prizes for each challenge too!  We are still 

taking sign-ups so check out either link & be there or be square!!

I took a bubble-bath bottle & altered it.  I have a tutorial for it

 coming up here within the next few days so check back for that!  

I love the smooth & simple shape of this bottle & love this brand of Foam Bath & can't live without it - but the label is not the prettiest - even though the contents smell fantastic & the product is fabulous - so I thought it would be a great item to alter & keep as a gift for someone very special this Christmas {yes I do know who but can't say here in case they spy!!}

I started by wrapping the bottle with pages from Prima's new 'Divine' collection.  I used my new Martha Stewart Heart punch again as well as Prima bling across the top & Prima bling lace across the bottom, inking & gessoing along the way as one does LOL.

Then I layered up lots of luscious layers as per the spec  - 

'Textured Layers' - using hand-dyed gauze, flowers & trinkets.

I hot-glued this all down so it would be extra strong, given

that it would be handled regularly.

I sealed everything with a light spray of Glitter Varnish to waterproof it - seeing as this item is destined for the bathroom.  (Although I still have it on display in my dining-room because I can't get enough of it's shabby delightfulness!!}  

Thanks so much to my friend Yvonne Yam, Julie Tucker Wolek & Amy Tsuruta  for inviting me to join them & their friends at Let's Get Trendy! 3

Will you join us?  The workshop & challenges are going on all month!