Birb Watching || Scrapbook Layout

Hi all,

Here's the first of a series of blog posts that come under the umbrella of 'Emily Loves Scrapbooking Again!!'. There'll be a new layout comprised of non-design team products every Saturday for the considerable future. 

"You stopped loving scrapbooking?!" 

Well, not exactly. But I overthought every single layout I made. 

I'd love to be on a scrapbook design team so I could concentrate on scrapbooking but this is the hand I am dealt right now and I am very grateful for my current opportunities. 

Another problem for me was and is, dolla. I've finished uni and haven't worked out what I want to do with my life yet. So I'm saving what I can and that means I can't justify a scrapbook kit subscription. 

But then National Scrapbooking Day happened.....

I am a member of the 'For The Love Of Pretty Paper' UK scrapbooking group on Facebook. Over that weekend they posted 12 challenges and during the weekend and following week I completed every single one and loved it! I really enjoyed getting stuck in with my stash and not having to stick to any particular brand. I even got completely caught up with my 2017 scrapbook. 

Here is a layout I made for a 'tic-tac-toe' challenge, to pick three items from a table of nine. My choices were fussy cutting, die cut and ink spatters. 

The picture I used is of my boyfriend on a recent visit to the local nature reserve. We had heard a 'birb' (what he likes to call a small bird, it's very sweet), but couldn't see it. Here he is looking for it, camera at the ready.

To make the layout I chose to use my Heidi Swapp 'September Skies' paper pad. I picked it up a couple years ago in TKMaxx before they made the ridiculous decision to stop selling scrapbook supplies.
I fussy cut the floral paper and layered behind the photo, adding die cut birds on top and finally my title, journalling and ink spatters.

Thanks for stopping by!
Emily xx

You Light Up My Life - Stitched Layout

Hi all,

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day and Santa brought you what you wanted! I'm now chillin' in the jammies I got in the sales today with a glass of Bailey's.
Here's my latest layout. For our photography project at uni, one aspect was portraits so I wanted to have some interesting lighting going on so I got Nathan to hold some Christmas lights, in the garage with the lights off.
The lightbulb paper from the Heidi Swapp 'September Skies' paper pad was perfect for this layout!

Lately I've been inspired by circular layouts. I always enjoy a bit of stitching too so I got my compass out and drew two circles, one a little smaller than the page and another inside that. I started by stitching around the outer circle in orange but I pulled it out because I didn't like it. Instead I stitched between the circles for part of the way around. I just pierced the paper at points along the outer circle that intersected with the edges on the lightbulbs on the backing paper. I then stitched towards the centre point. For the outside edge I did the same, finishing each stitch 1.5cm from the edge. 

A close up of the title, stamped using the Traditional Alpha stamp set from docrafts. I lined the letters up on the layout before pressing the clear stamp block onto them so they were in perfect alignment with the curve of the circle. 

We're going to the pantomime (Snow White) in Grimsby tomorrow afternoon.

We went every year when we were little, and back in October my cousin said how fun it would be to go again... the next day, my grandma rang to see how many tickets to book...

Also it'll be my first time driving on the motorway... luckily so far my dad has been a good teacher so I can't see there being any problems. I drove to the outlet today with Nathan and it all went fine and we got some things from the Next sale. Super pleased with myself :)

Until next time...!

Emily xx