Docrafts PDT Blog Hop - Matchbox Madness!

Hi all,
This month on the PDT we've made decorated matchboxes.
You can either use an old matchbox or you can draw template yourself, here's a template with the right measurements on.

For my design I used a single sheet of Gorjuss 6x6" paper.

These little boxes are really easy to make. They can be used as a trinket box, as I have, or you can use them as little gift boxes. Perfect!

Thanks for hopping by, and don't forget to check out what my fellow PDT members have made!

Heather https://heathermitchelldesign.wordpress.com/

Mags Woodcock https://thetaglady.wordpress.com

Julie Wilson http://newnanny.blogspot.co.uk/

Michelle- http://scrapthology.blogspot.co.uk/

Katie http://whatkatiedid2.blogspot.co.uk/

Sarah Douglas http://stickerkitten.co.uk/

Amy Surey https://amysureycreations.wordpress.com/

Mini Layout

Hi all

A new layout today! Here's my car :)

This is one of my heaviest layouts - I'm trying to get away from my fear of using lots of layers of paper... and it's worked so well.

You know how sometimes there's things in your stash that are so lovely you keep them for the perfect occasion?

That postcard is perfect. It's even got 'Mini' on it!

And also applies to me because I'm tiny.

I coloured the word 'mini' in and framed it to emphasise it as a page title.

The same goes for the First Edition Man Made Mini print paper. It's been in my stash for years and I finally got to use it!

Papers and embellishments are mostly My Mind's Eye Cut & Paste.

Anyway, until next time...!

Neon Fairground Layout

Hi all

Sharing a neon layout today. I love making things with neon, so when I saw this merry go round on the South Bank in London I couldn't resist taking a snap and making a neon layout with it.

I also recorded making it in timelapse.

Until next time...!

Fold-out Scrapbook Layout

Hi all,

Earlier this week I was suffering from Lack Of Inspiration. That's the problem with multiple photo layouts, when you really want to show off the pictures you've taken. 

However, I found a solution!

Why stick to one page when you can expand that one page...?

This layout shows pictures of a lovely Sunday evening Nathan and I spent wandering by the Thames in London.

Here's the front, a selfie and St Paul's

Then it opens out to reveal more photos.

 To make the base, I used 3 sheets of 12x12" paper.

One full sheet and two cut in half stuck back to back and then sellotaped to either side of the main sheet. 

The papers are My Mind's Eye Find Your Wings & Fly, as as some of the embellishments.

On this layout I've also used Papermania Glitter Effect Pens.

They've got a bullet tip and leave a lovely sparkle. The colours are really vibrant, too. I've used them to outline different parts of my layout such as doilies and sentiments.

Here's a close up of the 'open' tab. I inked wooden arrows in pink to co-ordinate with the rest of the lyout and stuck Thickers on top.

Thanks for stopping by!

PS I also bought a car this week!

Some Days All I Do Is Watch The Sky

Hi all

Finally got around to making a layout I've been meaning to make for a while. I've found I've got to be in the right mood to mess around with mixed media...

Whenever there's a beautiful sunset I like to instagram it... I like how the light comes through the clouds and how they contrast with the sky and how buildings are silhouetted by the sun... lovely.

To begin with I picked some colours from the photograph and painted areas of the page in those colours in watercolour. Over the top of this I added a bit of gesso. 

Once that was dry, I added patterned stamping. 

Most on the embellishments on here have been painted in the same watercolour as the background - the washi tape, the wooden shapes, the tags and the text. This really brings the layout together. 

The title is from a song I love called "Watch The Sky", by a band called Something Corporate.

It's here if you want a listen...

(I had to crop this really close as the paper had buckled a little with the paint... if anyone's got any tips on how to prevent this, leave a comment below!)

Thanks for stopping by!

ATCs

Hi all,

You may not know this but before I got properly into crafting, I was an artist of sorts. I got an award for it in school and studied it to Foundation level. Not bad! After that I continued it as a hobby,and still do, to an extent. However, I attained more success as a crafter, so art took the back seat. 

On the docraft PDT, we did a swap and the theme was nature. I figured I could combine my art with papercraft in ATC form! The ATC I made was well received, and I enjoyed it so much that I made a series - They are for sale on my Etsy shop,  go check it out! 

The art is printed onto vellum and fussy cut out.

The backgrounds are made of layers of embossed papers. ATCs are a great way of using up scraps.

I hope you like these, I want to make more in the future.

Thanks for stopping by!

Creativity Issue 61 scans!

Hi all!

Just hopping by to share the scans of my feature in docrafts Creativity! issue 61, out now.

A Nautical Layout

Hi all

Now I'm back from London I've had the chance to get some scrapping done for myself. This layout uses pictures from our trip to Manchester for the Comic Con a couple weeks ago.

I won the Die Cuts With A View Hey Sailor paper pad last year but never really found any layout appropriate for it - until now.

I like papers with an illustration on the front - using a craft knife, cut around part of the illustration and slide patterned paper underneath, bringing the illustration to the front of the layout.

Thanks for stopping by!

21 or something

Hi all.
Just got back from London where we celebrated my 21st birthday! Now a proper adult... LOL right?

The first night we went to the Museum Of London. It was really good, I'd recommend it, lots of archaeology and interesting things to look at. After we came out of there we made out way to the river, climbed over a wall (why the wall was there, is beyond me), crossed the river and had a lovely walk by the Thames in the evening sunshine. We came across a Wagamama, so that was tea sorted...

On Monday we went to the Grant Museum (great name!), a zoology museum. I loved it. Got lots of references for new drawings.

We also went to the British Museum but came out concluding that there wasn't enough dead stuff there. Nathan and I aren't really fans of old pots...

Tuesday was my birthday, we went shopping down Oxford Street and then to dinner with my parents at the Slug & Lettuce just off Regent Street. Really nice food. 

 

Then yesterday we stuck near Ealing because we didn't want to get stranded because of the Tube strike. We went to Wagamama again (different one though) and then had sundaes!

Today we came home, and waiting on the mat was a package addressed to me...

I wasn't expecting anything...

My fellow members of the docrafts PDT had made me birthday cards! They are all so incredibly beautiful, I'm in awe, and they will have pride of place on the windowsill and I am keeping them forever. Never received proper handmade cards before, so to get five at once is amazing!

(Still really excited about this, I need to calm down...)

Anyway, we're having the family round on Saturday for a par-tay, so I'd better get going with the prep...

Until next time!