6ichthusfish

Making Map embellishments...day 3 of EXPLORE

I was burning the midnight oil last night, as it had been a busy, life-packed kinda day.  Yesterday's promt was all about Maps.  My dad is a retired Navigator and we always called 'maps'..... 'charts'.  Looking back I remember superb quality paper, detailed maps with extra circles and arrows on them.  I think I used to use the back of old charts to draw on :)  Seriously cool, huge maps.  Shimelle had given us a stack of websites to gather inspiration from.  Pretty, artsy mappish stuff and I was inspired.  I have an old Ordinance Survey map with a linen/paper backing that is heavy duty map loveliness and I have previously chopped it up so have no qualms there....that's why I bought it :)

So, here's my pile of map-inspired embellies, all lined up ready for future use...

 

Part of the prompt was about circle punching and layering.  I used some American Crafts stickers, some buttons and pretty twine and inked everything around the edges.  I don't love all the embellies but decided to show you guys all the ones I'd made.  My fave, the word 'TRAVEL' below was inspired by one of Shimmelle's websites (sorry forgot which one). 

I made these letters for T-R-A-V-E-L from some old, Heidi Swapp, chipboard alphas in the font of 'lemonde stand'.  They are self advesive too.  I glued the letters face down onto some interesting bits of the Ordinance survey map (used Glossy Accents) and cut them out.  I added a coating of Glossy Accents to give them a finished, shiny look.

A couple of my other finished faves include the double button, twine tied...

 

Martha Stewart punched teeny butterflies, inked to age them a bit...

 

And another really simple embellie with a  Martha's butterfly on a green grid AC pp...

 

I am a maker of embellies anyway.  Sometimes the urge hits not to scrapbook but to sit and play with stash and produce a pile of embellies to use another day.  Then when another day comes and I am reaching for the perfect little something to pop on a page... got something. If you like circle word art that fits into a standard punch size I made a free download ages ago as an IACW post.  Help yourself to the other free downloads in the left sidebar cloud thingy.

Right then. Totally loved making these and am looking forward to seeing what other folks got up to. Grin.

Still exploring...with a postcard...!

Today's prompt in a paraphrased nutshell (as I see it)...

 "Choose the one moment that stands out to you as your most adventurous, whatever it may be...and then just write about that adventure [on a postcard] until you run out of space... then you’re done. If you like the idea [which I do] address it, stamp it and post it to yourself."

So, I rummaged in the drawer for some postcards (we've got a pile, everything from old, recieved and newish).  I chose this one which I got around the time I had my adventure (1990... seriously!)  It's of knitting...

 

I wrote about the backpacking trip I took in summer 1990.  It was the summer that I took a gap year from doing my BEd at Uni.  I went with a friend called Steve who ran the local Creative Writing group that I attended during that aformentioned gap year.  We flew to Yugoslavia and spent time in Turkey and Greece.  I made an old-fashioned scrapbook when I got home, with tickets, postcards and photos jumbled together.  I think it's in the garage somewhere.  Anyway... I think that was my most adventurous time.  Obviously having the 4 teenagers that i have now is an adventure all of it's own.  So was baby twins and a two year old...that was a crazy adventure too.  Then a newborn aswell as twin two year olds and a very bright 4 year old... pretty adventuresome time in my life.  thinking back now, the year after I went to Dubrovnik in particular, it was on the news in a war zone.  I also remember a highlight of the trip was Athens.   L-o-v-e Greece.  Would like to go back.  Something to think about.  This was 21 years ago and was just months before I met my Husb.

 

ds took some snaps of me posting the postcard (N.B. i was thinking about how big my butt was going to look in my housework leggings when he took this! Hence the expression on my face)...

 

 
OK then.  I will be adding the postcard to my explore Playbook/file when it gets here.  I may print off the photo of me posting it.  I prefer the out of focus one above to the butt shot ;]

Loving the class :)

New online class by Shimelle...EXPLORE.....!

Check out Shimelle's blog you can still join in with explore.

I love to learn and was really excited to join in with this class, but as I am still finishing off a 3 week class called  ‘The She Art Workshop’ by Christy Tomlinson, I was not sure if I wanted to start another class at the moment.  However, the title EXPLORE had me totally intrigued.  I signed up midnight Sunday and it started yesterday.  Am totally loving the style of 'explore'  and have made the Playbook...

A couple of days ago I got a pile of photo enlargements through from Photobox.  I always wait till they have an offer on,  then order a pile of my fave pics that are potentially scrappable.   For this order I’d chosen  9”x 6” for a change... still big but not A4.  It was this pile I reached for  yesterday to choose some photos for EXPLORE.  I was all set to use jump rings like Shimelle, but as I was getting the prints out of the envelope they came in,  I thought how fun would it be to make the daily prompts  as individual, separate  cards, a bit like playing cards?  So I decorated the front with a photo, alphas and embellishments and lined the photo envelope with my latest fave pp...  ‘Out of Print’ by Basic Grey.  I used some tape down the spine to make it flexible but strong and inked around the edges. Here's a close up of the cover...

 

The first card from Day 1 is tucked inside...

 

The prompt was to take a self portrait.  I took the photo of my reflection in the lounge mirror over the fireplace and printed it at home 9”x6”. 

 
I added a (1) to the photo and printed and stuck Shimelle’s Workbook prompt to the photo as well.  It's backed with some American Crafts pp with cute clouds on. I altered and printed an Ali Edwards Number one title and journal block that says ‘today’.

 
The journaling says...

“I’ve seen lots of photos online of scrapbookers and photographers in the style of “self-portrait with camera”.  It’s a type of photo I’ve tried to take before but never really liked the results.  This self-portrait was a reflection in the lounge mirror over the fireplace.  First tries were no good as the mirror is quite high up.  I balanced precariously on the poof and snapped 27 photos.  I picked this one and uploaded it to ‘Picnik’ to adjust the colour and add my fave frame.  Not pleased it printed out so dark L but embracing and going with it.  Have been super creative lately taking the She Art Workshop online with Christy Tomlinson.  The mixed media approach has opened the window to new landscapes creatively.  Love to learn... love to join in... love to e-x-p-l-o-r-e!!”

OK.. I'm off to find a postcard, ready for today's prompt!

{grin}

 

 

go, go, go, Scrapbook LO from Shimelle's Sketch

I had this photo ready to scrap since last Summer, when I was practising panning with my camera and a fast moving object.  I was so pleased (at the time) with how it turned out that I had it printed up on Shutterfly as an A4 print.  So pleased to get the photo scrapped :) 

 
Almost all the product was from an American Crafts kit called TRAVEL.  I used a 2" square punch and the embellies from the kit.  This was a super quick LO but I still like how it turned out.

Here's Shimelle's sketch...

 
A bit flipped because of the way the bike was moving R to L.

Scrapbooking news...

I'm so chuffed to have won some stash from the 'Green at Heart' collection by Basic Grey for my LO about T-g... here on FLICKR.  I enjoyed checking out the other folks who'd won a prize for their fab layouts  here .

Tomorrow on It's a Creative World crafty blog, the year long project 'SIMPLE THINGS' is still going strong.  This month's word is 'INSPIRATION'.  Here's my canvas page and this is what I said...

"Nothing gives me a bigger dose of INSPIRATION than the thought of trying new crafty techniques.  Recently I've been all inspired by the fab canvas projects I keep seeing all over the web.  So, what better than trying out new techniques on canvas for a page about 'inspiration'?  Here's my canvas page for my fabric book.  It's called 'Inspiration grows'..."

There are lots of details about how I made the page scroll down here.

Been Scrapbooking (a lot) this week-end...

Well, it's Monday now and I have just uploaded three scrapbook layouts and a tag to my FLICKR gallery .  I have taken many photos that I may not have taken before and I have burned the midnight oil crafting.  I sit here happily 'all-crafted-out'. The week-end blog party at Shimelle's blog closes  6am Tuesday but I need to get T-g sorted for Pony Camp.  I've had a broken printer for a few weeks so these photos were processed and why so many of my Los are about Roman.

Challenge...

Use CIRCLES on a LO...

Use SQUARES on a LO...

Use HEARTS on a LO...

Make something with LAYERS... {Husb, Son, Father, brother}...

Ok then.  Monday is ironing day here so gotta go.

[gotta messy craft desk...]

Yep, all the creativity has meant a VERY messy craft desk.  See evidence below...

Btw... UHU repositionable spray glue is F.A.B. for quickly sticking large areas of pp/cardstock.  FACT. 

Journal around the edge... @17 layout...

I have enjoyed scrapping this photo of my ds, Ben, taken during the 'Love your Photos, Love Your Pages' online course by Shimelle.  I do love the photo and had a blast making this page today.  There are so many challenges I want to join in with so I scrapped it amazingly quickly and spent less time moving stuff about on the page and more time attatching stuff. 

 
Here's a close up...

Go here to find out about Shimelle's challenge to journal around the edge of a LO .  I've always found 'girl' pages easier, but this LO was a refreshing page to make & I enjoyed using 'boy' stash.  [I'm lovin it].

Love Your Pictures, Love Your Pages...

'Love Your Pictures, Love Your Pages' is an online photography & scrapbooking class with Shimelle Laine.  I've had a big scary DSLR camera for a while but wasn't getting to grips with it, so when I saw Shimelle offering a photography class with scrapbooking emphasis and teaching too I had to sign up. I am loving this class and already thinking differently about the photos I'm taking and am feeling more confident with my big camera.  I took some photos of carrots (like you do) when practicing depth of field.  No carrots were injured in the taking of these photos (but they did end up served with roast chicken last Tuesday)...

...then there were jars...

then there was coffee (while Chef has his guitar lesson a couple of us sometimes drink coffee and connect)...
   

So, I'm getting friendlier with my big camera and am taking it places instead of relying on my compact camera (which I do love).    If you're wondering what the little plastic cup with the green straw is... well it's a freebie sample which was dee-lish.  Good times.

Delighted to have won!

A few weeks ago I took part in a sketch challenge on the Sarah's Cards blog with this layout about my brother's Wedding...

Well, I am so (cheesy grin) pleased to have won the Sketch challenge.   Woohoo!

I totally love the monthly subscription kit from the Sarah's Cards online shop . 

Read the original post I wrote  here.

I can't wait to see the sketch for August (which I will be doing a layout for) & will then be posted on their blog with the other August designs.

In case any scrappers want the free PDF download to make 2" word art embellies, just check out the left sidebar for my freebies  :)