Waxwings! || Scrapbook Layout || My Mind's Eye 'Market Street'

Hey everyone,

I have a layout to share today using some of my older stash.

If you don't know what a Waxwing is, they are birds that spend most of their time in Eastern Europe. If the winter weather is particularly harsh over there, they fly west. Occasionally, a few end up here in the UK each year.

This year, they have come over in huge numbers. I really wanted to see some, so I followed the 'waxwings UK' twitter account. A few days later I saw that some had been seen... at the other end of the village! I power walked over there with my boyfriend's camera and saw them in a tree, really high up. The only pictures I got were silhouettes. Got cold and came home. 

The next day, they were reportedly still there so I had another walk and got these great pictures. There were a few other people there with big DSLR cameras and I was there with my little bridge camera..., but when the other people got there, the Waxwings had already flown off.

I was so pleased with my pictures. First, the local park wanted to share them on their Facebook page. Then, the local newspaper asked to share them on their website! I was pretty chuffed. 

Anyway, here's my layout! 

I was really unsure what papers to use for these pictures. Anything pale just made them look dull. Then I found these My Mind's Eye 'Market Street' papers from a couple years ago and they were perfect! I have matching embellishments too (occasionally TKMaxx have some great crafty bargains). I layered up the papers (there's some Project Life cards in the mix too), added my photos and then chose red and yellow embellishments from my stash.

The date stamp is from One Canoe Two 'Hazelwood', it goes right up to 2023! 

Now... as you're reading this I'll be on my way to a very cool place to spend the day with some very cool people I can't wait to meet....! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Tutorial Tuesday - Photography Tips!

Hi all,

This week's Tutorial Tuesday is not video-based. This week I want to share some photography tips to show off your projects in the best way possible.

1. You don't need a DSLR to take great photos. (I don't have or want one and photography is one of my hobbies)  A bridge or compact camera or even the camera on your phone is just as good, plus it's less messing around with settings which is always good.
2. Make sure you have good light. Find a surface near a window and photograph your makes there during the day. If it's a dull, rainy day then just wait for a nicer day.
3. If you do have a camera with different settings, see if you have 'expressive' mode - it makes the colours really 'pop'.
4. The background should be either the wall that's already there or blu-tacked scrapbook paper (if you want something more colour specific or your wall is really 'busy'). A too-busy background can distract from your project.
5. If you can, stand/sit further back and use the zoom function. This will blur the background (this works best if your project is about a metre from the background).
6. When photographing cards, have them side-on to the light. That way you get graduated light against the card and it looks more natural.
7. Buy a mini-easel from The Works. They're super cheap and great for photographing smaller makes such as mini cards, tags and smaller scrapbook layouts such as 8x8".
8. You don't necessarily need a tripod for photographing cards, just a steady hand. However, if you find your pictures are blurred, tripods are not that expensive.
9. Don't post blurred pictures to a gallery or blog. Seeing those is my pet hate - it just makes me think, could you not have spent ten more seconds having another go? If you're in a rush, leave it for another day. (rant over)
10. For large scrapbook layouts, find a wall near a window with good light. Stick the layout to the wall using blu-tack and try and get it straight - use pictures or anything else on the wall as a guide. For this you ought to use a tripod so you get the picture dead square and not angled in any way. Set the tripod up so it's the same height as your layout. If you have a camera with a grid on the display, use this to help you. 
11. You don't need Photoshop - the default photo editor on Windows 10 works just as well. Instagram is great for quick editing and sharing too. 
12. If setting up each time you have made something is a bit too much 'faff', then why not save them until you have a few to photograph, then do them all at once?
13. You can use props in your pictures to add some interest - think buttons, jewellery, candles, boxes (if you have a few makes you want to photograph, showing them on different levels can look fab!), art supplies... but don't overdo it and don't think you have to use any props at all. I personally don't like to but I know a lot of people do.
14. Think about the purpose of what you have created. If you've decorated a box - fill it. If you've upcycled a jar - show it with some paintbrushes in. If you've decorated a frame - put a picture in it. If you've made something that hangs, hang it.
15. If you're blogging and want to show specific details or techniques, then of course take works-in-progress or close ups of the finished article - it really helps to show what you are explaining on your blog post.

Aaaand I think that'll do for now - Any questions, just ask! 

Emily xx

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!

A Steampunky Weekend

Hi all!

Been away this weekend, Manchester again, this time for Comic-Con. Basically - big event centre, people dressed as their favourite pop culture characters, lots of stalls selling memorabilia, art, handmade stuff. This is the third year we've been and it's always fun.

There was a steampunk stand, one part was a shop where they sold goggles, jewellery etc and then behind it they had sculptures and handmade things that you could take pictures of. They did talks as well.
They had a hat stand full of these miniature top hats.

And other things like this metal spider and crocheted cakes

And a customized frame. I love this piece!

Continuing the steampunk theme, I did another photoshoot of Nathan and Sam in their steampunk gear. This time, Sam was a pirate and he looked SO COOL.

I also attempted to be a pirate but I think I'm too little...

Until next time...!

Won a Photography competition!

A few weeks ago we went to the Festival of the Plough... They were running a Photography competition... winner gets their picture on the front of next year's guide book, a bottle of wine, and a framed print of the winning photo.
My parents and I took around a camera each... and snapped away!
We each put our best photo on the FOP facebook page...
Last sunday, this happened....

"And the winner is.......

Emilie Grant. Stunning colour and interest in foreground and background. Nicely done. You're on the front cover next year."

I was in shock... While we were there, we saw so many people with SLR cameras with the big lenses... and then I won it with my little bridge camera.
I did spend some time composing the perfect shot... here it is!

I have yet to hear of that bottle of wine and framed print....
I'll give them another week... if I've heard nothing, I shall enquire...
(I'll be giving the wine to my parents, though; I prefer Cherry Cola...)