My blogging has been so neglected as has my scrapbooking, i am blaming it on the pandemic!!! for the lack of connection to the kids, not seeing them for all that time therefore not taking all those photos!!!

i think this may be the last layout i made in 2021 and this photo is during the summer when i had the kids over during the half term.

I'm determined 2022 will be different, 

I'm planning some picnics in the park , something easy that doesn't take too much planning!!

and they can drop in and out easily.

just need to get through these dark couple of months, I hate January and February and spend most of my time wishing for spring that takes so long to come, I see the signs , get excited but then it all stops, goes on hold for another month, then another one!!

it will come, it always does!!

this year we have moved our retreat from October to February, something to look forward to, 18 days and counting!! its over 2 years since the last one and I cant wait!

in the middle of  the first 2020 lock downs when we were thinking it will all be over by the end of summer to now February 1st  2022 and we are still predicting the end of it and in all that time we had managed to keep it out of our house, but it had to get us in the end and it did!! 

but today is release day, we have both been poorly, not too poorly thank fully, thanks to the vaccines I'm sure but its back to work today and then count down to retreat and then looking forward to spring 2022

bring it on!!

 

Happy Days-Scrapbook Layout

 Loving my page for The Mad Scrapper using the Daydream range by Cocoa Vanilla studio.

so easy to use with all the bits and pieces to make a lovely layout.

Using pieces from the ephemera pack , the cut apart sheet and the 12x12 pages.

I gutted my first sheet as it only goes to waste under the top sheet and gives me more to play with. the border was about 2" I used a ruler sat along the edge and a craft knife to do this.

For the next sheet to go on top I used a ruler to tear down to keep it straight but give me the distressed look I wanted, this then went on the border back ground piece. The gutted piece just makes a lovely frame and I would always use the darkest sheet for this.

My photo which is 4x6 was then mounted on the leftover from my gutted background sheet.

I used one of the pieces from the cut apart sheet for my journal square, I loved the rainbow and added my journaling to this following the curves of the rainbow, love this feature, it adds great interest I feel.

I then added pieces from the ephemera pack, my title, houses, the top rainbow and flowers, all added using a mix of double-sided tape and 3D foam pads to raise where I needed them to, the front house some of the flowers are raised, the hearts on the journal square.

    

   

 I finished by adding a few sparkly gems here and there mixed in with the floating flowers, just finishes it off lovely I feel.

Summer Journal

 Summer Journal, 

using the Sunkissed range by Cocoa Vannill Studio from 

The Mad Scrapper

I'm getting ready for Summer, waiting patiently!

I created this fun and easy journal just waiting for all the photos and stories of our summer.

A very easy to make project.

Starting with 12x12 sheets from the range I cut them, leaving them mainly 12" wide but cutting down to 7 or 8" deep and then folding in half and using the cut off pieces too so nothing goes to waste.

 

I then placed then together, deciding which colours and designs I liked next to each other and mixing the sizes, adding the smaller in between the larger, you can even trim some off so the widths are slightly different too, to see things poking out make for a much more interesting finish.

when I was happy with the way I had the pages, I then fixed them in place with a long reach stapler and then bound with some ribbon and tied on the outside.

I decorated my cover using the cut apart sheet, layering pieces up and using some 3D foam pads to add some height, from my stash I found some bobble ribbon which I added to the edge of one of my inside pages and to my cover, tucking it under the main title cut out.

I have then decorated the inside with some of the pieces from the ephemera pack. and any leftover strips from my page cutting .

It's now ready to add my photos and journaling as we go through the summer, a great project to take away with you if you have a portable photo printer, some of the ephemera, the cut apart sheets, some journal blanks and some glue and you are good to go. 

  

using the just gorgeous Sunkissed range, I used 12x12 sheets, 

Summer lights,

Just chillin, 

Good vibrations,

 Sunny days

fun in the sun cut apart sheet 

and the die cut ephemera pack.

here is the full range.

Nature Trail- Scrapbook Layout.

 Another design for The Mad Scrapper 

I had no idea for this before I sat down to work on it, i am very happy with the result.

Nature Trail

For this page I used just paper 3 ... 12x12 sheets and a plain white cardstock,

 I love it when some papers have just everything you need to complete your page, i sometimes find I am spending far too much time trying to find other bits and pieces to fit!

I started with the hello happy for my base and cut round the right-hand side of the middle 3 butterflies only, lifted them up from the page and then backed with an off cut from one of the other pages.

My photos started off 6x4,  I trimmed them down to allow me to fit the 3 photos on my page and then mounted them on white cardstock just to allow the photos to lift off the page and not sink into the back ground. I put them aside to work on my back ground.

I cut three pieces from the other papers, remember these are double sided papers so great for using more of the design, I didn't measure the pieces just went with the size of my photos and placed them down and trimmed until I was happy with the sizing, I then distressed the edges with open scissors, please be careful doing it this way, there are distressing tools available to buy for this.

I then fussy cat the large flower, looks a bit hydrangea like to me, one of my favourite flowers!

I placed my backing pieces and photos down and moved around with my flower until I was happy with the layout and then stuck them down, you can do this by picking up corners and sticking down or by taking a photo to look back on to take up and layer your pieces on, I tucked my photos under and on top of the flower, I love to have things overlapping!

Next was making my title I look one of the papers and hand wrote my title using a journaling pen, cut round it roughly and then roughly coloured with a gold paint pen. I gently inked the edges and mounted on 3d foam pads to lift it off the page slightly.

Next, I fussy cut 3 more butterflies from one of the other papers, inked then gently, shapes them and placed around my title.

Lastly, I went round my main backing and my layered pieces with my journaling pen, just roughly bordering them, it adds a frame to my work and gives it a great finish I feel, jut roughly no ruler just a slightly wobbly line, in fact I think I went round 2 or 3 times, i love to finish things off this way, it's a great detail so simple but adds a lot to a page. 

Butterfly Box

 My Hexagon box Designed for The Mad Scrapper 

using the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Cottage Fields paper collection, Just gorgeous papers.

Oh, I love boxes and tins, and I love to decorate them, these papers were just perfect for this.

I measured the height of the box above and below the opening of the box and cut the full width of the paper, I cut the two strips together so they matched above and below the opening.

 

I did the same for the back as it didn't go all the way around and butted them up to each other on corners just making sure the back piece was on a not so very patterned piece so it blended in easily.

I used gel medium to stick the papers down and carefully cut round the clatch and the hinges on the back.

I then went round with some sandpaper to distress the clean-cut edges, this also helps to blend in the joins.

Next, I added some stencilling using a leaf stencil and some heavy body paste, just randomly over the box, you can dry with a heat gun or allow to dry naturally.

 

I then painted over the whole piece with some clear gesso and allowed to dry , this allows me to then add some more colour using the distress spray and allows it to move, without the gesso it would just sink into the paper, with the gesso I can then move it around by adding some water and moving the box to move the colour or using a paint brush to move the colour around, then allow to dry or dry with the heat gun.

next I added some of the pieces from the ephemera pack using the gel medium as my glue and then clear gesso's them as well.

Then I fussy cut the butterflies from one of the 12x12 sheets , I clear gesso'd these too, it is also good for strengthening the card stock, I did back and from of these before adding them using the gel medium as my glue.

Lastly, I used some wax to go round the edges and pick up some of the detail from the stencilling, I just did this with my finger but you could use a paint brush but be careful not to have too much, you can always add more but you can't take it away and it has strong colour to it so be gentle. I have just realised it didn't splatter, I may just go back and do some of this, I do love to finish with some splattering.

products used.

Simple Stories-Vintage cottage fields 12x12 papers hello happy  Dream more

Simple stories -vintage cottage fields die cut pack

Distress oxide spray- Mermaid lagoon 

Art alchemy wax- firebird

I also used....

gel medium as my glue, sand paper block, clear gesso, heavy body paste, a leaf stencil, I have since seen Janine has a stencil in this set that would be perfect... 

Mini Album/Journal.

 Handmade journal/ mini album

next DT project for The Mad Scrapper

oh I love a mini album.

I love it when I get some packaging like this, it's the perfect size and already in the perfect shape for a mini album, one of my favourite things, I love them for an event when you have quite a few photos to document, there is an end to it so it becomes complete.

 

For the outside and inside I cut the pieces for the flat surface and attached them with a strong double sided tape and then cut the spine pieces, measured and scored where I needed the folds to be but made sure they were wider so they overlapped the main pieces, on the front panel I added the extra red coloured strip just to add a bit of interest, again fixing the spine covers in place with a strong tape, right up to the edges so there will be no lifting.

I distressed all-round the edges of the book with a sand paper block, it just softened the edges a bit.

I added my elastic for my inner pages by punching holes and threading the elastic through and back again, tying a knit at the bottom.

The pages are just 12x12 cardstock cut to size and folded in half, they then tuck under the elastic, you can add more pages as and when you need or add different sizes for more interest, the pages can be removed to work on for ease and then added back in when finished.

For the outside design I cut some of the pieces from the playing cards sheet and layered them up with my metal leaf, die cut flower, embellishment cluster and my title. I used 3d foam pads and gel mediums for my glues adding height to the design.

Lastly, I splattered using the oxide ink watered down and using a paint brush to splatter.

On the inside I cut a pocket and with a strong double-sided tape I fixed in place, i then did some fussy cutting from the splendor sheet and glued it in place just poking out of the pocket, i made myself some little tags and cut some elements from the playing cards sheet and tucked them in the pocket, you could add another pocket on the inside back cover the add more bits and pieces from the set so they are to hand when adding to your mini book, embellishments ready to go.

 

products used.....

Paisley and vine papers

Pathway https://www.themadscrapper.co.uk/products/paisley-vine-pathway

Nature https://www.themadscrapper.co.uk/products/paisley-vine-nature

Playing cards https://www.themadscrapper.co.uk/products/paisley-vine-playing-cards

Splendor https://www.themadscrapper.co.uk/products/paisley-vine-splendor

Distress Oxide , Festive Berrieshttps://www.themadscrapper.co.uk/products/distress-oxides-ink-pad-festive-berries

from my stash I also used ....

Bramble Fox Perspectives

Embellishment cluster

Metal leaf 

Flower die cut piece

Scrapbook Layout-Free Spirit

Free Spirit, Scrapbook layout.

 

 I do love flowers!

This page is of my granddaughter Mia at my son's wedding a couple of years ago, I have titled it Free Spirit because she is just that!

 For this page I just loved the main background sheet so didn't feel the need to add to it which I quite often do its beautiful.

So, I could get straight into my layout without waiting for back ground dry which I normally have to do when I have been playing and adding texture.

  

  

Lots of layering on this page, firstly I cut strips of 3 of my papers not too important on the width but ranging from 2" wide down to 1" wide and 10" long down to maybe 8" long so that they can layer at different levels.

Two of the strips I cut points in the bottom like you would on the end of a ribbon to stop it fraying. i distressed all the edges of my strips , you can use a craft knife, dedicated distress tool, or an open pair of scissors (being very careful)

From the playing card sheet, I cut out 3 of the journaling squares and distressed the edges of these too.

I mounted my photo which is 4"x6" onto one of the papers, this can depend on your photo as to which one you use.

I then played around and decided on where I wanted them all to go, using the photo to move things around and work out the spacing. at this point I take a photo so I can look at it as I stick them all down as it is so easy to forget where I wanted it all to go! you could even put light pencil markings if it helps when placing.

I then added my photo using 3d foam pads at the bottom but not at the top to level things out as the top was slightly higher off the page.

I didn't glue or put my 3d foam pads too close to the edge of the photo as i wanted to be able to tuck things under the edge of the photo.

 

I then did some fussy cutting from one of the sheets and cut some die cut leaves and flourishes, I decided where I wanted them all to go and layered them up using a mixture of 3d foam pads and gel medium as my glue, tucking leaves and flourishes behind the layers of my strips and journal squares.

My title was one of the cut apart pieces from the playing card sheet that I cut with a round punch and distressed the edges.

I then added my flowers and my title. 

Lastly, I covered my photo and splattered with the oxide ink pad watered down a little to allow me to pick it up with a paint brush.

products used.....

Paisley and vine papers.

             whimsy- background sheet- strip

             splendour- fussy cutting- strip

             nature- strip

             playing cards- journaling squares- title

49 and market flowers- scarlet

distress oxide- festive berries- for splatters

round punch 

leaves and flourishes dies