Stampamemory - Stampin Up Scrapbooking

First day of school

My eldest daughter recently had her first day of school. I had lots of photos and wanted to included as many as possible without the layout looking overwhelmed. I used the leftover chipboard frame which is the same recycling and cost saving approach I used when creating this layout.

I also had Nikki write "Nikki's" so they layout reads "Nikki's first day of school". I treasure her handwriting (as she used to write her name as Niffi). She was also skeptical about writting the "s" on the end of Nikki's as she had never written it before and I am so proud of her effort.

 

I coloured my chipboard letters in using night of navy marker before using a sponge dauber to apply a darker layer of ink. (I have previously tried inking letters with only a sponge dauber and inkpad but wasn’t happy with the result.)

With my daughter’s school dress, she received a “scrunchie” hair elastic made from the same fabric as her uniform. I cut the scrunchie up to add to my layout (thankfully she has a spare one so I won’t have to hear her wailing that I cut up her ONLY hair elastic!)

Materials list

Ink: Night of navy

Cardstock: Bravo burgundy, whisper white

Accessories: loads of letters chipboard, lots of letters chipboard (chipboard frame), crystal effects, night of navy stampin’ write marker

Other: School uniform offcut, name badge

Thanks for stopping by,

Ros Davidson.

Welcome to our February Guest Designer Delys Cram!

It's time to welcome our guest designer for February. Before we do that, a huge thanks to Beth Stewart for her breathtaking designs in January. We have so many talented scrapbookers in Stampin' Up! Thankyou Beth for inspiring us.

To inspire us in February, we have Delys Cram from New Zealand. I have had a peek at the layouts Delys has sent through and oh my goodness, you are in for a treat! Delys also makes some pretty amazing cards, so make sure you head on over to her blog and take a look.

Here's what Delys has sent through as her first guest layout. How gorgeous is this?

 

So much stamping inspiration! I love the emboss resist page edges, and all those beautiful blooms and leaves. The chipboard letters just match the photos perfectly and it's such a happy and bright layout. I just love it. Here's a couple of close ups and a description of what Delys used on her page.

Stampin' Up! products used:

• Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers, Cheep Talk and For Everything (Summer mini)
• Inks: Bashful Blue, Bordering Blue, Rose Red, Green Galore, Garden
  Green, Black stazon
• Other: Whisper white CS, white embossing powder, versamark, brayer, On Board
  Loads of Letters

I'm sure you will agree this is a beautiful Stampin' Up!  page. We'll have more layouts from Delys over the next few weeks.

 

 
 

Announcing the Winner of SAM Creative Challenge #2

Thanks to those who entered SAM Creative Challenge #2.  I really loved the variety of ways people interpreted the challenge- from beaches, swimming pools to outdoor play on the trampoline and even French Country lanes.

I loved the cluster of fun accents and also the fresh summer colours against the Kraft cardstock on Elise's layout.  I was drawn to the use of patterned paper and journalling on Kathryns' layout.  I loved the bright fresh colours and use of ribbon and buttons on Tina's layouts.  On Nicole's layout I loved the seashells and torn effect near the title.  In the end I couldn't make a decision so I popped names in a hat. 

The Winner of SAM Creative Challenge #2 is.........Nicole .  Below is a sneak preview of her layout. Check out Nicole's blog for the full image.

Cheers!

Miriam Thomas
 

S.A.M Creative Challenge #3

February has clicked over which means it is time for a new challenge. 

S.A.M. Creative Challenge 3 is sponsored by design team member: Claire Daly.

Claire would like you to do a layout focusing on one word 'Love.'

Incorporate that word in any way into your layout - be it your journaling theme, a love letter, poem or song, love themed photos etc.  Think outside the square (or in this case the heart!)  

The prize for this fortnight's challenge will be a Heart Punch.

Some of our design team have some 'love' layouts to share to kick start that inspiration.  Click on the names below to see more of each layout.

Claire Daly

Di Gill

Sue Madex

Steps to Enter the Challenge

• Create a layout for the challenge described above. Please use at least 70% Stampin' Up! products
• Post your layout onto your blog or an online album, with a direct link back to this post.
• Then come back to this post so that you can add your name and link via Mr Linky. 

Entries close midnight Friday 12th February...

.....and the winner will be announced by Claire on Sunday 14th February.

We look forward to seeing your gorgeous creations.

  

Flowers... on a boy layout???

Flowers... on a boy layout? Yes, you read right. I usually find it hard to incorporate flowers (and pink) onto a male layout. However, this photo made it easy for me. Not only are there flowers on my son’s shorts but also a pink ball in the foreground. In embracing these “traditional” feminine features is how I came up with today’s layout.

 

Close up of flowers

Note: I have had a few questions asking how I did the background and the flowers...

The background- it is a text typed onto watercolour paper and coloured with so saffron inkpad and sponge dauber.

The flowers - technique called faux watercolouring. Stamp image in versamark (onto watercolour paper) and emboss with either white or black embossing powder. Spray watercolour paper with a few sprays of water and using an aqua painter and re-inkers pick up the colour of the re-inkers and touch the watercolour paper (with the aqua painter). As soon as the aqua painter touches the watercolour paper the colour spreads. Repeat with various colours if desired. Allow image to dry and cut out image.

 

Materials list:

Stamps: Embrace life, from the kitchen of

Ink: So saffron, sahara sand, versamark

Cardstock: Tangerine tango, pink passion, whisper white, watercolour paper

Punches: 1 ¼” circle, 1 3/8” circle, round tab

Accessories: Sherbet designer buttons (summer mini catalogue), linen thread, white embossing powder, tangerine tango re-inker, only orange re-inker

Other: Seed beads

 

Cheers,

Ros Davidson

A is for Alicia - Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper

Hi Everyone,

Having boys is a wonderful gift but I do sometimes feel the need for a 'girlie fix' and I am lucky enough to be blessed with a beautiful niece named Alicia. Here she is with the cutest little guinea pig and what a perfect opportunity for me to have a  play with the 'Pink Flamingo' Designer Series Paper. This layout is a sweet  8" x 8"  size and I have opted for a clean and simple style.

Journaling Reads: "Dearest Alicia  - I love you so much and feel ever so blessed that you are my beautiful niece."

Close up on Detail:

Here are the products I've used for this layout:

• Stamp Sets: Big Deal Alphabet, Thoughts and Prayers and Always
• Card Stock: Regal Rose, Certainly Celery and Whisper White
• Designer Series Paper (DSP): Pink Flamingo
• Ink Colours:Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette and Rose Red
• Embellishments:Button from the new 'Sherbet' Designer Buttons pack, the new 1-1/4" Pink Pirouette ribbon and hemp twine
• Punches: Slit punch
• Other:Co-ordinating pink and green stitching on the sewing machine and sponge daubing

I hope you enjoy this  layout and get the chance to do some scrapping of your own this week.

Di Gill xox

 

Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper

How about a winter layout to bring the temperature down a bit?

I've wanted to scrap these photos of my boys playing with their Dad for a while now, and the lovely colours in the Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper were a great match. The colours are Baja Blue, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray and Sahara Sand.

For my embellishments, I have used the Button Bouquet Designer Buttons and a little house I cut out from the Neighbourhood jumbo wheel. I have also used this on the background of the journaling. For my title I have used the Calendar Alphabet and Numbers, and also some inked chipboard which I have overstamped with the Polka Dot background stamp using Whisper White craft ink. I have finished off one of the patterned papers with the Eyelet Border punch.

The journaling on this layout is a lovely quote by Mary Jean Iron, which I first saw on Ali Edwards site. It reads:

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.

I hope you have a fabulous 'normal day'.

Claire

 

Designer Series Paper

Here we are coming to the end of the month already and our last creation from Guest Designer Beth Stewart. It really has been a pleasure to share her work with you. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.

This last layout really displays how beautifully our Designer Series paper really compliments each other, even when you are using many different packs.

And a close ups of the finer details...

 

Products used: 

Stamps: Frames with a Flourish, Big Deal Alphabet, Classic Alphabet {retired – sorry!}

Inks: Versamark, Kiwi Kiss

Cardstock: Kraft, Gold Metallic, Whisper White, Baja Breeze,

Designer Series Paper: Urban Garden, Urban Oasis, Bella Rose.

Accessories: Circle Punches {1¾, 1¼, 1 3/8, ¾} Gold embossing powder, Buttons {Bouquet & Latte}, Paper crimper, Fleurette {crocheted flower}, Blue rhinestone brad, distressing tool.

Be sure to pop over to Beth's site www.elizabethstewart.com to check out more of her stunning work. Don't forget to leave her a comment :) Thanks again Beth for inspiration this month..

Look out for next months Guest Designer coming soon!!

Scrapbooking Focus Areas For 2010

The layout I have to share with you today is one of those ones that is really more about the process than the final product.  I really enjoyed putting it together and seeing the page evolve bit by bit.

I love January.  It is always a time at our place when the everyday routines are relaxed, the pace of life slows down and there seems to be lots of time for fun and family.  I love fresh blank calendars and putting crisp new diary pages into my planner. At this time of year it always seems those blank pages hold lots of promise of how they will be filled.  It is also the time of year I like to reflect a little on the previous year and make some plans for the year ahead.  Do you do that too??  This year I picked 6 areas I'd like to focus on, including some of the key roles in my life right now.  Here's the layout I put together as a bit of a visual collage of my thoughts this Jan.  I plan to keep it on the magnetic board near my desk to remind me of my priorities when the pace of life picks up again and I sometimes lose track.

I used a piece of the Designer Series Sweet Slumber Specialty Paper as my base - I like the heavier weight of this cardstock, and the colours appealed too.

I'll share a closer look at the various parts of the page, starting with my most important role - being a mum.

I grabbed a piece of So Saffron Patterns Paper (the striped pattern piece) and using a More Mustard Marker wrote some of the things I wanted to keep in mind about being a mum.  I just wrote the lines out over and over to fill up the space my circle punch would take.

Then I stamped 'MUM' using School Book Serif and Riding Hood Red Ink and punched using the new 1 3/4" Circle Punch.  I sponged the edges for a little added impact.  Then I dug about in my humungous box of photos to find some of the kids and I, plus a healthy lunchbox and a fun activity we'd done one day last year.

The title is a mix of 2 chipboard number styles (from On Board Lots of Letters) coloured with a Ruby Red marker and coated with Crystal Effects.  Glue dots are so handy for sticking these down.

Scrapbooking is something I'd like to do more of this year so that was one of the focus areas I picked to highlight with my layout.  I had a quick trip back to the 90s with my 'cutting out the photo' style and added some wavy bits of vellum cardstock with some thoughts about scrapbooking and why I love it.  My markers came in handy once again for the journaling.

I used the same technique for another important role in my life 'wife.'  I've written 'time, energy and priority' across the squares to remind me that relationships need all these things to flourish.  1 3/8" Square Punch and Jumbo Outline Alphabet stamp set.

Health definitely needs a bit more focus this year!  I've stamped my Jumbo Outline letters onto some of the Sweet Slumber card and cut them out.  Delicate cutting out never appeals to my lazy scrapping approach but the gorgeous examples from the StampAMemory Design Team girls inspired me and I found these were easier than they looked to cut out. I'll definitely be using this set HEAPS. 

Underneath I've put 3 squares of vellum cardstock and just wrote 'MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE' in Sahara Sand marker.  Hoping this year sees me do a little more exercise than walking to the letter box! 

My much loved Stampin' Up! craft business holds a key place in my life too and I jotted a few key thoughts down about that.  I wrote them with a Bordering Blue marker onto the clouds from the pattterned paper pack and cut them out.  Popped a few up on dimensionals and sponged some for impact.  A bit ditzy perhaps but I liked it!

Another role I'm guessing we all relate to is just generally keeping the household and the family ticking along smoothly.  The 'ticking' part gave me the idea to do a clock inspired element.  I covered a chipboard ring with So Saffron patterned paper (rather badly - don't look too closely!)  then wrote my ideas on this one around the ring.  Hunted about for something to use for hands and noticed my rubber offcuts so chopped a couple from that.  Some buttons for the centre.

And lastly - I had a space that looked like it needed filling so hunted about for a quote.   (Or should I say, sat for half an hour happily googling quotes before finally coming across this one which seemed to suit perfectly.)

 

Here's to appreciating the little things in our lives.

Cheers, 

Sue Madex

Summer Mini Layout - Nature's Nest

There as so many awesome stamp sets and products in this years Summer Mini, something to please everyone!  If you haven't received a copy, please feel free to email one us and we will be happy to get one out to you.

When I saw Nature's Nest in the Summer Mini Catalogue, it was love at first site. There are so many possibilities with this set

 

I found the shell was perfect for this layout I created about our trip to the beach on Melbourne Cup Day.  I used it :

• As an embellishment

• As the background paper, I stamped the Jumbo Outline Alphabet over

I also  have a love affair with the Kaleidescope Designer Series Paper, it's so fun and full of life, not to mention, cute things to cut out and make into embellishment's of, in fact that's what the blogs header is currently made from.

Ingredients used:

Stamps: Nature's Nest (Summer Mini), A Beautiful Thing, Jumbo Outline Alphabet

Cardstock: Basic Grey, Kraft, Whisper White

Patterned Paper: Kaleidescope Designer Series Paper

Ink: Black Stazon, Chocolate Chip, Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise,

Ribbon: Linen Thread

Punch: Scallop Edge

Accessories: Basic Grey Stampin' Write Marker, Gold Brads

Adhesive: Snail Adhesive, Tombo Mono Glu, Stampin' Dimensionals

As you can see that I take loads of photos everywhere we go, so I often have to capture the feel of the day with a double layout. There are 12 photos on this layout. What is the most you have used?? I would love to know

I hope your getting some much needed time to scrap....

Bye for now

Tanja Westwood