NEW Echo Park Collections

Sorry the blog has been a little quiet lately. I've been busy browsing the new CHA stock ... sadly not in person (I wish!!) but on line and choosing new stock for the shop. There are just so many gorgeous new lines and products coming out, I can't wait!

New stock is gradually starting to arrive, kicking off with two collections from the ever fabulous Echo Park!

Just arrived today:

I just love the bright colours and fun images! A great for boy layouts - young and old!!

Click here to shop for Scoot now!

Also new from Echo Park:

Love Story is for all those Valentine/love themed layouts but also many of the papers are pretty floral designs which can be used for a wide variety of layouts!

Click here to shop for Love Story Now!

Watch out for lots more new stash arriving soon!

Not ONE But TWO GIVEAWAYs!!!

All this week, DT member, Louise has been showing you the five layouts she made with just 1 Echo Park collection kit!

If you missed them, there was this layout documenting her son's love for pigs and this one which featured multiple photos and lots of journalling and this post with two more layouts and the final post with a fifth layout. 

Louise has three young boys, who often feature in her scrapbook pages, mini books and crafty projects. She takes amazing photographs and tells fabulous stories of her busy family life. She regularly posts her layouts, creative projects, photos and stories on her blog Boys, Bugs and Beautiful Buttons - do pop by and say "Hi"!!

So .... the Giveaway!!! 

As we have been focusing on 12 x 12 collection kits this week, I have ONE kit to give away to ONE lucky winner! 

What do you have to do to win??

Easy .... first of all become a follower of this blog (if you're not already) and then visit the S J Crafts Shop and take a look at the kits available and then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which collection kit you would like to win. 

One comment will be picked at random to win a collection kit! 

(where possible this will be the kit you have picked and put in your comment but if it is out of stock you will be offered an alternative kit!)

But that's not all .....

I also have a selection of twelve 12 x 12 papers (different designs, different manufacturers but all beautiful!!) to give away to one person who also mentions this giveaway on their blog, either in your sidebar or within a post. You must include a link to this post and leave a comment on this post to be eligible for entry into the draw for papers!

 

Both winners will be picked at random on Monday 15th October from all those eligible!!

The giveaways will close at 10pm on Friday 12th October so make sure you've entered by then and both are open internationally!

Please remember to "follow" this blog and leave your comment!!

Good Luck!

12 x 12 Collection Kit - Part 4!

Today I have my 5th layout to show you. By now, there wasn't an awful lot left from the Echo Park kit that I started with but I managed to squeeze this one out of it.

It's all good

As I mentioned back in this post one of my boys doesn't like attention, so when I asked him to write down some words that best described him, he couldn't do it. So I did it for him and even asked his older brother to describe him too.

I am very much a B side girl and I really wanted to use this bright green scheduled paper. The middle of the 12x12 was gutted and another panel of patterned paper stitched over to cover the hole. I could then use another panel of the green paper on top. As in many of the other layouts I've shown you this week I wrote the journaling onto the layout first and then built everything else around it.

For this layout I didn't add any extras apart from the sewing! 

So after 5 layouts from one collecion kit, I have 1 full sheet of 12x12 left, a few paper scraps, some alphas and stickers - which I will be able to use up on other layouts and crafty projects.

Thank you for joining me this week - I hope you've enjoyed it!

Later today Sarah will be along to tell you how you can win your own collection pack!!

Until then I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Louise x

To see more of Louise's work - visit her blog: Boys, Bugs and Beautiful Buttons

Collection Kits - 2 More!

Hello again, Louise here back with 2 more layouts to show you!

So, just a reminder I'm using just one Echo Park collection pack to make 5 layouts!

If you've only just joined me, don't worry the first post in the series is here and Part two can be found here!

 I have lived in.....

Number one son is my fact boy. He thrives on facts. 
This layout is based on one of his recent statements.

 

The string and number stickers were not from the kit and againn my sewing machine was used!

What's in a name?

Stanley, bless him, gets called many a name. I adhered the tickets and photo to the background and then added paper scraps around them. 

When using these kits, it's worth keeping all your off cuts of paper and using them to make another layout!

The only thing not from the kit is the ribbon!

I also used my sewing machine and some staples!

I have one more layout to show you later this week and there will also be a chance to win a collection pack of your own!

I'd love to know which is your favourite layout so far?

12 x 12 Collections ~ Part 2!

Hello and Welcome back. If you missed the first of this weeks' posts on 12 x 12 collection kits you can catch up on that right here!

Just as a reminder I'm making layouts using just the supplies from 1 collection kit (with a couple of extras added here and there!) and focusing on journalling using the notes my boys jotted down for me.

For the 2nd layout using my  For The Record 2 kit I turned my attention to my shy boy, who doesn't like attention in any shape or form. 

This is the face....

I wanted to make a note of some of the things he wrote down as his "loves" this year. I wrote on the journaling blocks and zig-zag stitched them to the layout.

For this layout, all supplies came from the kit - all I added was the machine stitching!

Do you like to use collection kits? Have you got a favourite kit?

See you soon with two more layouts!

12 x 12 Collection Kits - By Louise

Hello there, it's Louise here today.

I hope your weekend has been wonderful!

Remember Lisa-Jane's fabulous series of projects using 6 x 6 pads?

Well, this week I'm going to share with you my love of 12x12 collection kits. 
Like the 6 x 6 series there will be posts throughout the week, each with a new layout! I hope you'll join me!

Many, many moons ago when I started scrapbooking 12x12 papers didn't exist, at least not here in the UK.  Papers and Cardstock were 8x10 and very limited. Luckily for us scrapbooking has expanded and there is now a wealth of supplies on offer from single sheets of 12x12 to paper pads to 12x12 kits. I've never subscribed to a regular kit from a company and I often wondered if I was missing out. Then earlier this year I discovered Echo Park's  12x12 Collection Kits and now I use these all the time. They quickly became the staple supply in my stash. I love them!!

I've used a few of these kits for lots of different projects like this mini book using the This and That Charming range and Interactive Layouts using the Note to Self Range. 

This week I'm going to show you just how far one of these kits will go and how you can make different layouts using just one kit!

In most of the Echo Park kits you get:

12 double sided patterned 12" x 12" papers. Amongst the patterns is a journaling and border sheet.
1 sticker sheet - the sheet is 12" x 12" and crammed with loads of stickers.
1 alphabet sheet - again the sheet is 12" x 12" and usually has a large alpha and number set and two smaller alpha sets.

 

Using this For the Record 2 Documented kit I have taken it's name quite literally.

 I planned to create five layouts where the story was the main focus.

 I tried to use the kit and the kit only. I tried really hard .... but I have used my sewing machine on each layout and I did add the odd little item here and there. 

Throughout the week, after each layout I've listed any extras that weren't in the kit. 

So, you ready? .... let's look at the first layout ....

I don't just like pigs...I love them

Each layout started out with a story and in this one you can see that I included the journaling on the layout before anything else was added.

For those of you that don't know me I have three boys, earlier this year I asked them to write down some things about themselves. S took himself off away from the other two and wrote down some of the funnest things. Obviously they had to be recorded in a layout.

I worked out where the photo would go and journalled in the space around it.
Then added my papers, embellishments, photo, title and stitching.

  

 I love how he spelt "finc" (think) and "bootafall" (beautiful)! 

 The photo was layered onto an envelope so that his original writing could be kept safe inside.

What did I use that wasn't in the kit? ... only a circle stamp and the 2012 number stickers!!

I hope you'll pop back for my second layout tomorrow!