Deanne's November 15th Sketch

Loved working with Deanne's new sketch ... although it did take a li'l while to get everything to come together. I really wanted to shabby everything up for this one, so I had a bit of a play with some different techniques.

I used papers from Fancy Pants Crush line & the ledger paper is Holly Jolly. I sanded the edges of all the papers & for the journaling mat I used a distressing tool (remember the Making Memories distressing kit???) to shabby up the right hand edge - I created the torn notebook effect on the left edge by making holes with a cropadile & then tearing out from the holes to the edge ... then I inked it all up!
The photos were cut leaving a white border, roughed up with the distressing tool & then inked. I machine stitched the ribbons in place ... check out the printed leaves twill - it's Cosmo Cricket ... from the Mr Campy line.
I inked the chipboard flourish with olive pastel chalk ink (love chalk inks) & then aged the edge with chestnut roan chalk ink. The 'stems' were painted with crackle paint & then aged with chestnut roan too. I added a twist of rusty wire (scrapbook safe stuff that I've had lying around for 3 years!!) & the blossoms are made up from Prima Artful Collage, Kaisercraft (taupe)& self adhesive pearls (I used Blush)
I broke out the acrylic paint & my old foam stamps for the title ... haven't used them for ages either! If you got the september embellie kit, you'll have one of these fabric tabs (to the left of the bottom left photo) too - i just swiped with a bit of ink to make it look less 'new'

I Made Something!

This li'l project started life as a submission for my BIA DT entry (which I eventually decided against applying for ... maybe next year - but I'm not good enough yet!) Unfortunately, it was one of those that got more complex as I went on ... until it was too fat to fit the binding wires!!!
A few more tweaks & it's now more or less completed - with big old binding rings instead!!
Anyway, this is how it all works: The covers are BIA Canvas Covers (10x10), sprayed with raspberry & metallic gold inks. Chipboard scrolls were laid in place while I positioned & stamped the birds n butterflies with dark brown fluid chalk ink (Clearsnap). The scrolls were inked dark brown & then painted with Antique Linen Crackle Paint (Ranger). The title was stamped onto a Journaling Card ... would you believe that the papers used throughout were Cosmo Cricket??? LOL - & in case you wanted details ... it's one of the older ranges 'Gretel' ... just the right amount of distressed & outdoorsy but pretty colours all at the same time - perfect I thought!
Moving on: The first page is for planning my planting etc. It is a plain piece of cardstock, covered with graph paper with a plain piece of acetate stitched to the top (it's actually a piece of OHP paper, left over from my teaching days!!) I'll use a wipe board marker to write on it, make a permanent copy when I'm happy with it & then wipe clean ready for next time - Am I a genius or what?? LOL
The reverse is decorated with Gretel papers & a gentle reminder spelled out with Just Your Type Vintage Cardstock Stickers (Cosmo Cricket) The divider pages are all ready to scrapbook with photos that I'll take throughout the year. The li'l tabs are offcuts from the 'planting cards' in the next photo. The abbreviated month names are stamped & I've handwritten the month on the edge of each tab so I can find stuff at a glance too. Obviously, I'll be using more Gretel papers for the scrapping elements - so maybe I'll use these pages to try out some design ideas too!
The 'to plant' pages started life as large index file cards. I laid Chipboard scrolls over the edge of each card before spraying with the raspberry ink (this works better with the less ornate 'chunky' ones. The title panels are computer generated, inked & stapled into place & a stamped image (inkadoo, I think) added to the corner.
The 'to do' list, showing from behind, was computer generated, inked & adhered to a C5 envelope (which is open at the top). I have reinforced the envelopes where the binding holes are as I'll be storing seeds in these - they could get quite full ... & maybe a li'l too heavy! It's easy to reinforce them: just cut a thin strip of scrap card (I used a ceral box), put double sided tape on both sides & stick into position inside the envelope before punching the binding holes.
In the last photograph, you can just see the A5 file pocket that sits behind the seed envelope - this will hold all my additional notes n stuff. The back cover has a simple pocket at the bottom (made from torn Gretel papers & a Strip Tease quote that reads: If Nothing Ever Changed, There Would Be No Butterflies) to hold this li'l notebook:
The back cover is made from the file card packaging & then covered with more Gretel papers ... the pages are cut from the offcuts of all the computer generated bits! Each one is hand stamped - what can I say? I like pretty stuff!
So much of this project is recycled or scrap. The cream papers are from my dissertation (published in 2000) - I found half a ream lurking at the back of a cupboard; the file cardswere 'inherited' from my dad when he moved abroad (about 3 years ago); the OHP sheet for the wipe clean planner I found in a pack of printer supplies kicking around for about 4 years; & the kraft envelopes are old office supplies from when I had the B&M store (closed almost a year ago) ... so go me for using up stash! LOL
The last couple pics are close ups ... just to show some of the detail that you might not see in the finished project.

Did I Mention That I LOVE Cosmo Cricket?

Those of you who are regular visitors to my li'l corner of blogland might just be aware of how much I love Cosmo Cricket ... & that I didn't get a place on this year's DT ... & that I did get a $5 gift certificate. So this is what I spent it on! OK, you might be thinking that I couldn't possibly have got this whole bunch of yummy scrumptiousness for a mere $5 ... & you'd be absolutely right! But Miss Paper Jane (. com) had a clearance sale on & my credit card did take a li'l bit of a hammering!
Just thought I'd share! LOL
Oh! Forgot to say, these are all 'older' lines that I hadn't got yet - I'll definitely be getting the new CHA releases - & if you are in the UK, they will be available from the webstore ... just as soon as I can get my sticky li'l mitts on them!

FIVE Challenges in One!!

Yup! You did read that right - I'm taking multi challenge layouts to the next level! LOL
First up, Deanne Burton is hosting today's '40 Days' event. Now I don't usually enter these - doesn't really seem right as I organised the whole event, contacted our fabulous participants and all the other behind the scenes stuff ... but Deanne specifically invited me to play along - & it would be rude not to! LOL
Anyway - the challenge was to create a layout with the word 'happy' included somewhere (1) you can increase your entries into the draw by creating a completely new layout (which this one is) AND by using one of Deanne's fabulous sketches ... which brings me neatly to challenge #2 - posted yesterday, Deanne's mid-month sketch! (2)
Arty Girlz current challenge is to create something with a male theme - that's my littlest man on a playdate with a buddy in the pic (3), Colour Your World are looking for summer themed layouts with sunny colours (I think but my translation could be a bit skewed) ... so that's 4!
Last but by no means least Janean set the following blog challenge (y'all know Friday is Blog Challenge Day, right? ) on the Croppinsville blog ...
For the anagram challenge, I'll select a word. I'll then select an item or two using the first letter of the word. The remaining letters are up to you. You must then use the supplies listed along with items you selected for the remaining letters to create your project. This weeks word is: CROP.

C~
R~
O~Orange
P~

So your challenge is to use something orange. Then you'll need to come up with something for C, R and P. Hope you enjoy!
So I have: C = COSMO CRICKET (like you couldn't see that coming!) R = Red Rub Ons O = Orange P = Paper Punches (Flower & Corner Rounder)

So there you have it! total number of challenges = 5!!!!

52 Sketches ... 52 Weeks

This is my layout based on Julie's #27 sketch - it's only the second one I've done - how lame is that???? The photos are from 'the stack' (YAY!!) & the papers? Cosmo Cricket! LOL. I'm on a 'use my stash' mission again at the moment (have to make way for all the new yummies I am expecting to arrive shortly!) & these are 'Be Good' - last Christmas's collection (& a sheet of random kraft cardstock - no idea what manufacturer!). I'd already used the 'a' from the button fashions sheet - so I used the negative as a stencil to cut a new one!! The papers are already distressed but I inked them up a bit more with Chestnut Roan Chalk Ink (I use this ALL THE TIME!) - I keep a pad just for inking edges - it's really dry, so gives a really soft finish - useless for stamping, so I have a nice juicy one for that! LOL
I stamped the journal block & added Making Memories (5th Avenue, Elizabeth) Die Cut Brackets ... these are a brilliant buy - there's about 100 die cuts in a pack - I'm nowhere near using them all yet! LOL.
The embellishment in the sketch had me stumped for a li'l while ... I just didn't have the perfect thing & didn't want to cop out & just use a flower - so I made a li'l embellie collage with a Heidi Swapp chipboard clock, Tim Holtz game spinner, adage ticket & trinket pin, a li'l bit of American Crafts ribbon & a Petaloo blossom. Let me know what you think, won't you?

Cosmo & Mr Poe

I love it when my fave things come together in one place! I love edgar allan poe (particularly, The Raven) & I think everybody got the bit where I love Cosmo Cricket *smile*
In order for any of this to make sense, you need to read this post on the Cosmo Cricket blog - obviously you'll want to take in all the sneak peeks - but you also need to pay attention to the blurb on the Halloween papers.
& because I'm very tired after working in the garden with FIL & DS1 today (the rain was torrential, but we soldiered on!), instead of tidying my scraproom; finishing the blogging backlist; crafting even - I penned this:

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer
‘Eric’ said I ‘or Julie, give me new goodies, I implore;
But the fact is I was scrapping, & I have no time for napping
Cuz I fear there is a gap in the Cosmo stash upon my floor
& now I start to panic, throwing wide the scrap room door
I need more Cosmo, nothing more

Back into my scrap room turning, all my soul within me yearning
For the CHA releases somewhat newer than before
‘Surely‘, said I, ‘surely that is, my destiny … the fact is…
Only Cosmo lines will satisfy my yearning to explore
Let my heart be still a moment - my inner artist must explore: -
Cosmo Cricket … Nothing more!

Apologies, of course, to Edgar Allan Poe!

Happy Birthday Allie!!

Our very own Allie, Croppinsville USA owner & Forum Mama celebrates her birthday today ... And here's a birthday card I made just for her.
It's another based loosely on Di Hickman's current sketch, using my beloved Cosmo Cricket papers (Fleuriste 8x8 pad this time)
So if you happen to be passing the store today, pop in & say hi to Allie - & if, like me, you are just too far away ... sign up for the Croppinsville forum & chat to her there ... or check out the blog ... or do both! LOL

Di's July #1 Sketch

This is my DT card for Di Hickman's current sketch. The sketch itself, had a stars & stripes theme (with it being July 4 tomorrow) so I thought it might be fun to keep those elements without being American (IYGWIM?) As you can see - lots more of my beloved Cosmo Cricket & wobbly stitching!! Check out the other DT cards - fabulous as always. And why not have a go yourself ... Go On, you know you want to! LOL

Today's '40 Days' event link will be posted around lunchtime, right now I'm escorting DS4 to spend the morning at his new school!

Here's my take on this week's card sketch by Di Hickman. Hmmm, I seem to be going through a sewing phase right now. I cannot sew well & my stitches are almost always wobbly - but with the right sort of funky/quirky papers I think you can get away with it! LOL
All the supplies here are Cosmo Cricket: 'Hello Sunshine' cardstocks & Journal card; 'Honey Pie' ribbon. And the whole thing was so quick to put together ... mostly it'll take me hours just selecting the right bits to combine ... which sentiment, ribbon or whatever.
Basically, I had some stuff on my table from my last project & just grabbed bits from the scraps there ... if only it were always that easy! LOL.
Pop on over to visit Di & check out the other DT cards - they are always so fab! & why not have a go yourself - any excuse to make something huh?

Not dead yet! LOL

Julie has just updated the Cosmo Cricket Blog with the names of the lucky twelve who go through to round two ... & I'm not there. Sure, I am totally disappointed - but as I did not, in fact, die (Love it when I'm proven wrong! LOL) - then I guess it's all good! LOL. Those of us that didn't make it are all to receive $5 certificates to spend at Miss Paper Jane - how totally sweet is that? So Cosmo Cricket are still top of my faves list - and who knows ... maybe next year?

June 30th is almost here - what's the big deal?? Watch this space! LOL

Sharing The Cosmo Luuuurve!

I finally feel official! LOL. Weeks ago, I joined the DT Crew at Croppinsville USA but as they are in the US & I'm in the UK, there wasn't too much for me to do before the website went live. Happily, it's all up & running there now ... and you can see my first Croppinsville designs up in the Designers' Gallery.
OK, so you may have seen these before & here's the deal: poor Allie was soooo rushed with opening the B&M store, getting the blog & webstore running etc that, to make her life easier, I decided to use product from my store here in the UK ... & we share those designs with both stores - if I can make someone's life a li'l easier & play with paper at the same time .... well I'm up for that.
So anyways, check out that gallery - it's fab!!

What's special about June 30th??? You'll never guess!

OMG!!!

Julie updated the Cosmo Cricket blog this morning (well OK, it was probably after 3pm here - with the whole time zones thing). They are going to shortlist around 12 entrants & E-MAIL THEM TOMORROW for the next round!!!
Sooooooo excited - I hate waiting - & what time is tomorrow?? Morning there is afternoon here ... & what if they don't send the e-mails until close of business??? Do I camp out under the computer desk overnight with the sound right up so I'll hear it if I get new mail??? Or do I try to be a big brave girl about it, go to bed at a decent hour and check in the morning???
Soooooo many decisions! LOL.
Send me soothing thoughts guys!

Hello Sunshine!

This layout was really quick to put together using fabby 'Hello Sunshine' by Cosmo Cricket ... and it is just the perfect colours to go with some more of my real ale ephemera.
A few weeks before Sean's birthday bash, he picked up a bottle of Badger's 'Long Days' ale for me to try ... they bring out a new summer ale each year. Obviously, you have to check out the label first! LOL. I knew I'd be saving this one to use on one of Sean's birthday layouts - so that gave me a starting point. The bottle tops squash fairly successfully in the Big Shot - with much less effort than on my old Sizzix machine ... I think it's about time that found a new home! LOL
The journaling reads: Forget the solstice, for us summer officially starts with Sean's birthday barbeque ... The weekend closest to 9th June. Sometimes we'll celebrate ALL WEEKEND!
And as I've used the beer labeles and bottle tops - this is another one that qualifies for the Arty Girlz ongoing Recycling Challenge!

A Funny Story.

Back in April, Cosmo Cricket were the monthly sponsor over at the Journaling Junkie blog & I had the chance to work with the 'Be Good' line - all for free. The down side of this is that I was instantly hooked and needed more! I kept my cravings under control for a li'l while (OK it was a couple of weeks, max! LOL) and then the Cogsmo line became available. Before long I'd acquired several other yummy ranges and decided to stalk the Cosmo Blog ... so that if a design team call came up, I'd be ready & if not, I could always contact them when I'd a few more samples to show!
Within a week or so - Jon from the warehouse had leaked the news - there IS a DT call ... how spooky is that???
So obviously this is a sign, a twist of fate, divine intervention perhaps? Whatever, it is definitely meant to be!! LOL
The call ends today but I just had to finish this one last layout first. I'm going for quirky & fun (if it backfires I shall look scary & desperate instead!!!) so I hope the guys at Cosmo Cricket have a really good sense of humour (have you ever read their blog - it's hilarious!!)

So - my layout: I'll Just Die (if I don't Make The Cosmo Crew)
The journaling (hidden in the pocket on the left) is on 2 journaling cards. The first is a li'l poem:
I wanna be on Cosmo's Crew
There's nothing I would rather do
Oh! Think of the projects I could create
(I promise submissions will never be late!)
I'll give it my best, I'll give it my all
If you grant me a place from this DT call.
I may be a 'Brit' but I have English style
Give me a go, it'll be worth your while
I'm soon to be 40 and there life begins
So give me the chance (it's the win of all wins!)
I'll cut & I'll stick to inform & inspire
I'm the latest, the greatest, fab scrapper for hire!

The second is inspired by the barcode strips on Hey Sugar! & Cogsmo cardstocks (Hello Sunshine didn't have them), which read in addition to acid & lignin free, 'fat free, sugar free, high in fibre'.
So funny! My version reads:
Hassle Free, Worry Free, High in Energy, Low Maintenance, 100% Committed: Potential Cosmo Cricket DT Member.

I had hoped to finish a few more projects before the deadline but a girl has to sleep sometime. So I still have a whole bunch of Cosmo Cricket stash ... and a whole bunch of ideas, so even tho' the call is over I'm gonna be posting more projects real soon.

Gotta love this sketch!

Many of you will know that I am privileged to be a member of Di Hickman's Card Sketch Team - & I love being a part of it! This is the current sketch and I loved it soooo much that I have made another three cards - all from that one sketch. Essentially all these cards are exactly the same design, with very little variation but I love how just changing the colour scheme makes them all so totally different.
And as I've been using a lot of Cosmo Cricket at the moment - I had plenty of scraps to choose from. Here's what I used:

'Queen for a Day' Cosmo: Fleuriste 8x8 Paper Pad & Blackboard flower. Other supplies: Brad: American Crafts; Gem: A Muse Artstamps

'Be Creative' Cosmo: Hey Sugar patterned papers; Honey Pie ribbon
OtherSupplies: Pin: Tim Holtz; Gem: A Muse Artstamps; Die Cut: Making Memories 5th Avenue

'Oh Baby' Cosmo: Honey Pie 8x8 paper pad & Ribbon
Other Supplies: Brads: American Crafts; Flowers: a '£1 store' find

Pop back later today for a layout or two ... & a full explanation as to what I'm up to! LOL

Got Flowers??

I love flowers but they die too quickly - especially in the warmer weather ... & they play havoc with DS2's hayfever (he's really suffering this year, poor love!) Here is my solution. DS1, being the kind and thoughtful lad that he is, bought & drank this bottle of ale cuz he thought I'd like the bottle. Isn't that just the most thoughtful thing ever? LOL.
Anyway, I decorated it with rub ons & ribbon from the Cosmo Cricket Fleuriste line. You do have to persevere a bit to get the rubs to stick to glass ... but it's well worth the effort I think. It does help if you cut close around the image & tape it into position first. The 'bloom' on the ribbon is also a rub on - they work really well on the gosgrain type ribbons as you get a little of the texture coming through.
Ooooh! Is that a recycled bottle then? So I guess it's another one for the Arty Girlz recycling challenge!
I have finally got the daisy die I've been waiting on - it seems to have been sold out for the longest time. I cut two for each flower (I reversed as they are not symmetrical), inked the petal edges & highlighted the detail with burgundy chalk. Each petal has been curled a li'l bit before sticking them together. The centre is a ribbon knot (Fleuriste again) and I highlighted the petal centres with glamour dust for a li'l subtle bling. The stems are just bamboo canes from the garden (use a hot glue gun to secure the flowers to the stems).
Just a couple more posts to come later today, so watch this space!

More Tim Burton Than Tim Holtz ...

That's how I'm describing my current style! LOL. I luuuurve this altered project so much that I've had to get an extra shelf in my scraproom so it can have pride of place. As soon as I had the Fleuriste paper pad & blackboard shapes, I knew just what I wanted to make! The box is also by Cosmo Cricket: the Storybook Cigar Box (OK, I confess I bought it for the box & the chipboard letters were a bonus! LOL) I left the acetate window intact & cut the papers to shape ... difficult to photograph but really sets it off IRL. I added a 'make a wish' rub on (Fleuriste again) - check out the door knob ... another of those real ale bottle tops!

The birds have real feathers & I have quite a collection now ... Love birds!! I created the 'broken' picture frame from a blackboard frame & a journal card from the paper pad - just added Diamond Glaze to the bottom edge & gently pressed in plenty of Diamond Dust. Once dry, it looks just like a pile of glass shards.


I'm particularly pleased with the hanging sign over the garden 'door'. It's just a length of a wooden bamboo skewer, painted black. The sign is hanging on black wire, which wraps along the whole length of the pole. I can almost imagine it creaking ominously in the wind as the crow caws and flies out of the garden. OK, is that too weird?? LOL.
It's almost midnight in the UK, so I guess I should be thinking about sleep. I have a couple more Cosmo Cricket posts to make tomorrow & a whole load of other posts that are starting to mount up ... So I guess it's gonna be a busy blogging weekend! LOL

Cogsmo Cubes!

I might have mentioned once or twice just how much I love Cosmo Cricket right now - so you won't be surprised to see another li'l Cogsmo project today! LOL.
We've been reorganising DS4's bedroom now he's a bigger boy & needs more play space. DH finally got around to putting up a couple of new shelves ... so it would be rude not to fill them, hehehe.
The 3" blocks are from C&T Publishing & I decorated them with scraps of Cogsmo cardstocks, journaling cards, stickers, rub ons & Blackboard shapes - those are from the Cogsmo & Get Happy lines. And if you are visiting from outside the UK - you'll find all those products at Croppinsville USA!

Reminiscing ...

That's the challenge over on the Journaling Junkie Blog this week - & for me it took a surprising turn. While I was looking for a particular photo (which has thus far eluded me!) I came across this piccie of my cat sleeping in a pizza box! Seemed worth scrapping to me! LOL
I've used the Cosmo Cricket 'Honey Pie' 8x8 paper pad & the journaling is on the back. Pop on over to the Journaling Junkie Blog to see the rest of the team's work & hook us up in the comments too - we'd love to see what you've come up with.

Di Hickman's June #3 Card Sketch

Every week, when the Di Hickman sketch goes live, I completely forget to update my blog to include the info. But not anymore! LOL. Thanks to Di's fabby tutorial on scheduling blog posts, I am now able to blog about it as soon as I've e-mailed mine to Di. Now because of the time zone thingy, I've decided to play safe and publish mine on Thursday mornings ... so there's no chance that I'll publish before Di does.
Here's my take on this weeks sketch. Really enjoyed this one & have incorporated a 'button cluster' technique that I found here (thanks Ali!).
I've been having a lot of fun with Cosmo Cricket stash just now - the papers here are from the 8x8 Honey Pie paper pad & the li'l ribbon flower is handmade from the co-ordinating ribbon set (more alterable packaging - YAY!) I used a Bazzil Bling brad in the flower centre & the buttons (Making Memories Buttons & More - Lemonade) match perfectly.
Pop over to Di's blog to have a go at the challenge yourself ... and to see all the stunning cards that the rest of the DT came up with this week.