I snagged a Studio Calico kit from a friend this month as a special treat, so I could start cutting and pasting with the new Storyteller collection from Crate Paper. Perfect for a starting point!
For this starting point, choose a 12×12 single-coloured patterned paper for the background, then cut a 4×12 strip of a double-sided paper. From that, use a border punch and cut that strip apart – so the designs from both sides of the paper are on show on the left side of the page. Then a box just slightly smaller than 6×6 (I picked something with lines here so I could use that for the writing, but in the end I placed it elsewhere) and a die-cut or something cut from patterned paper. Then the rest is up to you!
Hmm… I should photograph this again in the daylight tomorrow! But here’s my finished version, with two 4×6 photos a few more die-cuts (Crate and October Afternoon) and letter stickers (My Little Shoebox, Sassafras and Amy Tangerine).
You can see all the submissions from last week’s starting point here, and here are four of my favourites if you want to drop by and share a little comment love!
1. Leanne 2. Daphne 3. Helen and 4. Deb.
Give this starting point a try and share it with us!
One more giveaway this week – and it’s a biggie: an all-access pass to True Scrap 3 – a $127 value. One lucky reader will win full admission to this online scrapbooking event, including fifteen workshops, a range of make & take tutorials and a keynote interview with Becky Higgins, plus all the bonus materials that are available to those who purchase the full event via my blog, including
…an exclusive video extension to the Starting Points series. Over this set of videos, I’ll take you through six brand new scrapbook pages from three starting points, so you can see just how varied one page starter can be. This series of videos is only available in this offer.
…a bonus PDF printable with a dozen page sketches, perfect for taking to a crop or scrapping at home. This is also exclusive to this offer and not available elsewhere.
…a class pass to your choice of either Pretty Paper Party, True Stories, Learn Something New or Love your Pictures, Love your Pages. That means you can take your pick of paper and design tricks, journaling inspiration, a month long album class or a photography project! Depending on what you pick, that’s up to a $24/£18 value. (And if you have taken all of those classes, you can gift it to a friend and be their favourite person!)
…a bonus $5 to spend at your choice of Two Peas in a Bucket, Amazon or Starbucks. (And if you’re not in the US, that can be your currency at the Amazon or Starbucks for your country if you prefer!) Just for fun.
At True Scrap 3, I’m teaching a workshop called The Perfect Collection. It’s all about taking a collection pack and getting the most from it – like eighteen totally complete scrapbook pages. The workshop includes a forty minute video that takes you through the core concepts I use for getting the most from one set of papers without needing to buy a giant stack of premade embellishments, and includes a printable accompaniment so you can refer to an entire workbook of easy-to-follow materials. That workbook includes a cutting guide to take the fear out of chopping up your pack of patterned papers, the starting point designs for each of the layouts created by using that cutting guide AND photos of all the completed layouts. The eighteen 12×12 pages include both single and double layouts, with a mix of 4×6 and 2×3 photographs plus one larger photo.
So many times I’ve been asked to share the details of how I just start and don’t stop until every scrap is used up, so that’s exactly what’s here in The Perfect Collection. There are so many opportunities to add your own style and personality to these ideas, from the choice of your papers to your favourite punches, stamps and other little touches – yet you’ll end up with a big stack of pages that rely primarily on paper rather than expensive premade embellishments. That also means it’s perfect for any older paper collections you’ve been saving for a rainy day, since you won’t bang your head against the table for not being able to find the matching accessory products in the store now!
This strategy works equally well for one complete album with matching supplies or for pages that fit all sorts of albums and themes, as you can choose if you want to use all photos from one big event or if you would rather pick pictures from all different topics and make each page on a new subject.
Any other questions on the workshop, drop me a line and I’m happy to answer!
And now for the giveaway!
To enter, visit the True Scrap site and take a look at the list of classes. Leave a comment on this blog post with a class or two that most takes your fancy! One comment will be chosen at random to win the all access pass as detailed above. Entries close at midnight UK time this Thursday and the winner will be announced Friday, along with the winner of the Cootielugs Handmade and American Crafts giveaways. (Still time to enter those!)
If you are considering True Scrap 3, do remember to sign up this month, as the price goes up in April to $147 – and that’s $20 you could have to buy another collection pack, you know!
Good luck!
xlovesx
PS: If the winner of the giveaway has signed up for True Scrap 3, she’ll get a refund! So you don’t need to wait to the weekend to sign up. If you sign up through my link remember to email me (shimelle at gmail dot com) a copy of your receipt so you can receive all the extra goodies! Thanks.
Today brings a little fun from the blog teams at American Crafts and Scor-Pal, with twenty-three brand new projects featuring American Crafts papers and embellishments and folding, scoring and pleating techniques that can be made with the Scor-Pal scoring board. (And a big welcome wave if you’ve just hopped here from Lilith’s blog!)
I am down to my last few sheets of the Campy Trails collection and there is no more where that came from: this line has now done its time and has been replaced by all the brand new lines, but I wanted to share at least one more Campy Trails project before I’ve used every last scrap. But how to include scoring in such a project?
My favourite scoring technique is the rosette or paper pinwheel (something Britta included in this five ideas with scoring post from the archives), but even I couldn’t quite put that together with what I wanted to create with this page. The beauty of a scoring board is that it is super-easy to get perfectly lined up creases so you can fold a box, a card or a design and have it come out just right every time… but what’s a girl to do with a scoring board when she likes to embrace the wonky? She ignores all the directions, basically.
I decided I just wanted to use the scoring board to create texture and dimension rather than something so rigid and parallel. I cut a wide strip of patterned paper and placed it on the board, then moved it this way and that, slightly angled to the right then the left and so forth. I did absolutely no measuring and just scored the lines until they covered the entire length of the strip then folded each one forward and backward to create some sort of folded mess, like if you asked an infant to try fan folding perhaps. And then flattened it all out on the table again, and placed foam squares behind the tallest points. From there on out, I added it to the layout like any other piece of patterned paper, but instead of a flat pattern, it’s covered in haphazard folds- and with the scoring board it took just a minute rather than ages of trying to fold back and forth by hand.
To follow the hop, head on to the next stop with Julie Koerber, who creates gorgeous hand-coloured cards. There are giveaways sprinkled all around the hop, so I hope you can find a minute to make the whole circle for projects and prizes.
Speaking of which – a little American Crafts giveaway for you right here! You know how this date stamp and this camera stamp from the new Dear Lizzy line are selling out so quickly everywhere? I have BOTH of them to give to a reader! To enter, leave a comment on this post. Easy! Entries close next Thursday at midnight UK time, and the winner will be posted on Friday.
This weekend, one commenter will win this charming ‘Queen of the Emerald Isle’ fabric bird from Clootielugs. Perfect timing for St Patrick day celebrations!
Clootielugs is a charming little shop, selling fabric birds, illustrations and embroidery, all of which are sure to make you smile. Jill lives in Scotland with husband, three children and an indulged terrier. “One of my most popular lines are my ever-changing flock of little birds. These are often made from colourful retro fabrics but also come in more natural shades and fabrics. I am very happy to take on commissions for weddings, christenings, birthdays, retirements. Birds can be personalised too!”
To enter, just leave a comment on this post describing the last lucky thing that happened to you!
Entries close at midnight Thursday UK time and the winner will be posted Friday evening, so be sure to check back to see if it’s your lucky day!
Good luck!
Congratulations to Whitney, who wins the brand new self-paced e-course, The Scrapbook Stamper’s Workshop by Jen Gallacher. Whitney, you’ll receive an email from Two Peas soon with all the info you need to get started. I know you’ll love Jen’s workshop!
So sorry if it wasn’t your lucky week – maybe it will be this time! But if you’re looking to get those stamps earning their keep instead of just taking up space in your stash, Jen’s workshop is just what you need! It’s divided into sections for different kinds of stamps, so you can go in any order as well as at your own pace – perfect if you have been collecting certain types of stamps and need to put them to better use. And I love that this is all specific to scrapbooking, as many stamping workshops are more aimed at cards and while the cards look fabulous, it can sometimes be hard to translate those ideas to a page with photos and pretty paper and writing. Definitely two thumbs up.
There’s a new giveaway every Friday night, so check back next week for another chance to win just by leaving a comment.
…Paper dulls needs faster than fabric (same goes for scissors, which is why it’s useful to have separate fabric shears if you do much sewing at all), so be sure to keep extra needles on hand. But you don’t need anything special – just the standard needle size for your machine.
…Adhesive is the only thing that can be problematic. It’s not a big problem, but if you’ve ever tried to clean adhesive off a table or other surface, you’ll be familiar with those stages of stickiness and residue and how it can see almost impossible to get right back to square one. Well… sewing through lots of adhesive will get all that residue on your needle and eventually it can transfer to the other working parts of the machine that surround the needle… or it can end up on the presser foot (the bit that clamps the paper/fabric down) or the feed dogs (the bits that move the paper/fabric along as you sew) and then you can wind up with glue on your next sewing project… which might be paper. Or it might be a wedding dress. Oh goodness. So less is totally more with adhesive on layouts you will stitch. You’re going to stitch things into place, so all you need is a little bit to hold things in the right spot while you sew.
…The tension might be different on your machine for paper versus fabric. Because paper is thinner and rigid, which could cause your stitches to look wonky on one side (or both) even when they look fine on fabric. No big worry: just adjust and try again on a scrap of paper. Or don’t stress and if it looks fine on the front but messy on the back, just don’t worry about it since that part won’t show anyway. Which is one nice thing about sewing on paper!
Anyway, time for a video adventure! It starts with some beginner sewing info then goes through three scrapbook pages, so if you already know how to use your machine and just want to skip to the layouts, zoom over the first six minutes and you should be on track.
If you think your sewing machine is broken, do yourself a favour and stop before you do anything else and change the needle. Needles are weird. They might look the same and you’ll swear it’s still sharp if you stick your finger with it, but it may be slightly bent, bowed or blunt. Any of those things can make your stitches a total mess or even make your machine stop sewing or show error messages. Yes, sewing machines need to be serviced now and then and sometimes they need actual repairs. But sometimes a new needle fixes all woes, and that only costs thirty pence. So try that first, okay? (Then if it still doesn’t work, head to an expert. A service will make your machine run like new again and it’s not all that expensive for most machines.)
Local friends, if you have never stitched and want to try before you commit to the idea of buying a machine, there are regular workshops at The Make Lounge and you can use their machines to get an idea of the experience. That’s for sewing on fabric, of course, but you’ll come away with a finished project like a patchworked pillow or a dress, so lots of good things in a couple hours in Islington.
For getting started, sewing each layer separately and then gluing it together like any other layout works well. If you’re worried that something will go wrong, you’re only working with one piece at a time – so the worst that could happen is you need to replace that single piece rather than fix a layout that’s nearly finished. Not that you’ll have any trouble with the stitching! But just in case you’re nervous. For this page, everything is stitched separately then adhered like anything else. Plus you can combine stitches and pop dots with this technique – and I do not recommend sewing through pop dots. I may have tried that out for experience in the past. It’s not the wisest move.
If you love layers, you can add stitching to each layer as you go. This is the same technique I used on this minibook cover and it works really well on cards too. That repeated stitching can transform a stack of scraps into something extra special.
Sometimes stitching is a great finishing touch to a layout that is just lacking a bit of something. In this case, I started with everything here except the stitching, but the lack of contrast made the page fall flat. The stitched frame and details in the high-contrast black thread help take it from in between to definitely finished.
(Also, don’t freak out but that is two weeks in a row that I have used themed supplies for their theme. Bicycles last week and cupcakes this week. Whatever will happen next?)
If you’re interested in more projects and information about using your sewing machine on your scrapbook pages, check out the Sew Happy Scrappy workshop at Two Peas – it’s self-paced, available any time and it’s just five bucks. (It’s taught by Jen Johner and you’ll find it listed with all the other supplies if you scroll down past the video here.)
This week Glitter Girl challenges you to sew on a project of your own! Upload it to Two Peas and check the box for the Glitter Girl challenge in step four of the upload process to share it with us all – and you’re also welcome to share a link in the comments here if you fancy!
Onward, covered in glitter, my dear scrapbookers!
The Adventures of Glitter Girl is a weekly series on Two Peas in a Bucket, and goes live every Wednesday. I’ll share each adventure here shortly after that. I hope you enjoy her quests for crafting happiness, and if you ever have a scrapbooking dilemma yourself, you can always call her to action on the message board. She’s currently looking for a topic for next week. What should it be?
Hello Monday! How about a new starting point for a scrapbook page this week? This week I could wait no longer to cut into my sheet of that multi-coloured chevron paper and some other goodies from the Magpie collection from Jenni Bowlin Studio.
This starting point includes a multi-coloured patterned paper cut to 4.5×11.5 inches, a single-coloured patterned paper cut to 7×11.5 inches, a border strip about 1×12 and a punched border just below that. Then a group of layers made from a 4×4 square of patterned paper, a journaling card and two labels, the smallest on pop dots for a bit of dimension.
Here’s my finished page, with one of those older photos that doesn’t have any additional pictures for a multi-photo page. Complete coincidence that the print was the same height as the two cards to its right, as I didn’t have this photo in mind when I made the starting point… maybe a sign that I work with the same sizes so often that they just fall together naturally? Who knows.
Most of what I added was more Jenni Bowlin: doily flowers, hodge-podge and quilted stickers, letter stickers and the new butterfly punch. Plus an old favourite Fontwerks stamp set for the numbers and a MME stamp set for a couple tiny additions.
Now it’s your turn!
If you want to join in this week, recreate this starting point with any supplies you like, then complete the page in your own style. Upload it to your blog or a gallery and leave a link at the bottom of this post to share your work.
Last week’s layouts were particularly gorgeous, I must say! So difficult to pick, but these are six I found noteworthy. Do take a closer look and leave them some comment love or add them to your bookmarks! Clockwise from top left, they are from Kelly, Soaphousemama, Nancy, Kelly (who cleverly made a gift bag!), Helen and Katherine.
Two quick closing notes for today: 1. If you’re a big starting points fan, consider joining us for True Scrap. See this post for details of an exclusive starting points video series available with this online event.
2. If you’ve been thinking of picking up some brand new scrapping goodies, the deal of the day is a particularly good one today for stocking up on papers and embellishments at 60% off, while they last.
On the tenth of the month, a bunch of us share ten things. Any ten things. All different kinds of ten things. And you’re welcome to join us.
For March, I’m discovering just how cold an old building can be, even when it doesn’t feel old on the inside. (Our new flat is a modern conversion of a school opened in the early 1800s.) All that cold is making me turn on the oven more and more, so about a ten things devoted to things I like to bake!
1. Pumpkin pie. Preferably from an actual pumpkin. I actually stick pretty close to Martha’s Recipe, but using fresh pumpkin always needs more spices, I find.
2. Pumpkin cupcakes. Let’s just get my pumpkin obsession out in the open from the start, okay? I could eat pumpkin every day and never get bored. Pumpkin-filled pasta is also one of my favourite things, but I don’t really tend to bake that, so it doesn’t make this list. Though a pumpkin lasagna could be baked and that sounds amazing. But I’ll leave it at just pie and cupcakes for this list.
3. Things that are exceedingly chocolatey. Like these cupcakes. And “this really simple cake”: , which I make whenever we stay with strangers (in a hostel or a shared house/chalet, etc) because it takes few ingredients and no equipment but always disappears in moments.
4. Rhubarb crumble. Seriously, rhubarb is fabulous, and I love how it makes the house smell when it’s in the oven. I don’t use a recipe for crumble because rhubarb really varies in sweetness so I taste as I go (which is half the fun) but this recipe is a good starting point if you need one.
5. Long Winters Cupcakes. Spiced apple cake and named after a favourite band, then baked for the band when they came to town, a story I never tire of telling. But seriously, music fandom aside, spiced apple cake is such a great mid-afternoon food in a cold house. If I’m just making it for home, I bake it in a loaf tin.
6. Alicia’s bread. Which she calls ‘Ann’s bread’ and I wonder if Ann attributes it to someone else? Speaking of a loaf tin – this is an actual bread that I bake as a loaf just for us or as gifts, or as rolls (in a cupcake tin) for a meal with company. It’s a yeast bread but it’s easy and fast and the end result is crazily rich and a bit sweet. If you manage to leave it a day without eating it, it makes a French toast that will blow your mind. You know… if you like fancy French toast, anyway.
7. Things involving Oreos. Like these. Because though I go through long stages of eating exceptionally healthy food, Oreos are the one weakness that bring me back. I cannot resist an Oreo. It’s ridiculous really. One day there will be an Oreo intervention. And it will fail.
8. Root Vegetable Pizza. Because it is made of pretty much all of my favourite things. Like sometimes I even add wedges of pumpkin. (Okay, maybe there will be a pumpkin intervention. IT TOOWILLFAIL.)
9. Crazy omelettes-turned-frittatas-or-something. Not quite quiche, but not made in a frying pan. The sort of thing you make from the random things in your fridge that somehow will work together, plus eggs and a pie dish. In our house, this often involves Jarlsberg, not unlike this.
10. Lately, a million things with mushrooms. I fall in and out of love with mushrooms, so I shall not have an impending intervention. But lately, mushrooms are on my good list, and pretty much any dish. Well… not cupcakes. But everything else.
So! What ten things will you share this month?
PS: I haven’t figured out the new oven enough to make macarons. Need to get brave soon though! I have promised someone I will.
Learn to stamp on your layouts! Join Garden Girl Jen Gallacher for this self-paced, comprehensive course focusing on the following five stamp design styles: open, solid, alphabet, sentiment, and background stamps. Download the helpful 62 page “Scrapbook Stamper’s Workbook” which includes five instructional chapters, 50 stamping tutorials, and 50 brand new page samples with complete supply lists and step-by-step instructions. Five helpful chapter videos are also included which walk you through each of the 50 stamping tutorials. The workbook and videos are designed to work hand-in-hand, helping you become more comfortable with stamping on your scrapbook pages. This class is perfect for you, whether you’re a cardmaker looking to make the transition to scrapbooking or you’re a scrapbooker wanting to learn more about stamping techniques in a scrapbook setting.
The content of this workshop will be available immediately upon purchase. The lessons are available for you to work at your own pace and upon purchase can be accessed in the “Workshops” section at Two Peas in a Bucket. A private message board forum is also available to ask questions for Jen and to connect with other participants. Enjoy!
And…you don’t need to wait to see if you’re the winner before you sign up! If the winner has already purchased the workshop, you can choose to take a refund or gift the class to a friend, so go ahead and get started with your stamping!
Please leave your Two Peas username in your comment. (If you don’t have one, you will need to open a Two Peas account – totally free – to access the workshop.)
Entries close at midnight Thursday UK time and the winner will be posted Friday evening, so be sure to check back to see if it’s your lucky day!
Good luck!
Congratulations to Jennie, who wins the sampler pack of pretties from My Little Bit Of Whimsy.
Jennie, please email me (shimelle at gmail dot com) with your address.
And – now it’s time for..
Randomly selected from all the comments, tweets, pins and shares of the CHA Winter 2012 coverage here on the blog, we have lots of prizes! Ten winners of $10 Gift Certificates to Two Peas in a Bucket and one grand prize winner of a $100 Gift Certificate to Two Peas.
Ten winners of $10
Ann Caldwell
Margie Visnick
Sigrun Campbell
Nelli Chamings
Julie Weis
Latharia
Sannika
Ruth Tacoma
Kathy R.
Torry
Grand prize winner of $100
Winners, please email me (shimelle at gmail dot com) to claim your prize, which will be sent to you by email.
There’s a new giveaway every Friday night, so check back next week for another chance to win just by leaving a comment.
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