Studio Calico Yearbook - By Louise

Today, DT member Louise talks about her scrapbooking process!

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Do you have a scrapbook process?

If so, where do you start?

- with pretty papers

- with a story

- with photos 

or 

- with a design

Each time for me it's different. Usually I tend to start with a photo and then choose my papers, but as Sarah sent me the new Studio Calico Yearbook papers to work with, this time I chose a photo that I thought would suit the papers.

After selecting your photo and papers what comes next?  

Do you have a technique in mind you want to use? Do you think about what you want to achieve? Do you refer to a layout you like or turn to a sketch? Do you just start cutting up papers and see what comes to mind?

So I'd got my papers ready and I picked out the photo I wanted to scrap, next I quickly scribbled a sketch. I don't do this all the time, but it does help to give me a starting point.

And this is how the final layout turned out.

The Ugly Sisters
Sorry, I have had to "blur out" the face of one of the children!!

 

Products used  Studio Calico Yearbook

Studio Calico - chalkboard alpha thickers

  

For this second layout I noticed that this sheet of numbers would work perfectly with a story I had recently blogged. So this time around I chose the paper to go with a story. A story that you can find here.

 

Products used  Studio Calico Yearbook

Studio Calico - chalkboard alpha thickers 

Studio Calico Mister Huey Mist - Calico White

The Studio Calico Yearbook collection is gorgeous and I am sure there isn't a theme that it wouldn't work with. It's perfect for older children, school photos and boy or girl themes. 

So where do you start?

Photos ... papers ... sketch ... technique or something else?

Please do share your layout process with us.

Jenny has been busy with another Studio Calico collection, Wonderland so pop back soon to see what she did with it!

Have a fabulous day!

Louise x

Colouring with Distress Inks

It's no secret that I love distress inks!
When I first met Jenny a while back now, she had just a couple of distress ink pads and confided in me that she wasn't really sure what to do with them. If you have seen Jenny's demos or taken one of her classes at our Open Days or if you follow her wonderful blog, you will know what a "whizz" she is colouring with promarkers!

So, when Jenny put together this colouring tutorial I was very happy! Although I think Jenny will always prefer her promarkers it is obvious those distress ink pads are slowly taking over her craft desk!! lol!!

Over to Jenny ...

"A few months ago I only had 2 distress inks pads, today I have a collection of 13!! It seems they have become a staple item to my crafting. I know I'm a little behind the times but they frightened me at first. I saw all the amazing results other people got with them and thought there was no way I could do the same but slowly I have gained more confidence with them and now use them on most of my cards"

For this card, I stamped the image in Memento Rich Cocoa onto some Kraft card.

I used a water brush and a piece of laminated card, or you can use a craft sheet. I pressed the ink pad onto the laminated card, making a "splodge" of colour and then used my water brush to put some water onto the ink and started to colour. I've found it best to start off pale as you can always add more colour. Remember, the more water the paler the colour. For this image I used the following distress ink colours Iced Spruce, Peeled Paint, Wild Honey, Weathered Wood, Brushed Corduroy & Festive Berries

Here's the finished card!

I have inked the edges of the Kraft using the blending tool with Brushed Corduroy ink pad (it doesn't look so dark in real life) and then mounted it onto some dark brown card, stamped Happy Birthday in memento ink and stapled a piece of jute across the card.

Have you tried colouring with distress inks?

Thanks for stopping by today!
Jenny x

Winner for Challenge 9 School / Learning

Hi Everyone!
It's Jenny here with the winners for Challenge 9 School /Learning

Our winner of a beautiful selection of buttons and ribbons , selected using random.org is.....

No 5!!

Thats Jackie A xxx !!! Well Done!

Please e mail sarah at sj papercrafts (dot) co (dot) uk and with your address details to send you your prize!       

The TOP 3!!

The Design Team enjoyed visiting your blogs and have decided that as we didn't have so many entries last month we would feature all of them as our Favourites!!

Number 1 -Nana Connie

Number 2 - alica

Number 3 - Brenda Ragsdale

Number 4 - linda dekker

Number 5 - Jackie A xxx

Congratulations to all the entries!! 

If you would like to display our "Top 3" badge on your blog please e mail me sarah at s j papercrafts (dot) co (dot) uk and we'll get it sent to you!!

Our current challenge is still open here! You've still got plenty of time to enter!

Have a great day!

Monthly Challenge No 10 (October/Nov)

Thank you to everyone who entered last month's challenge - Not quite so many entries ... maybe the theme was a bit trickier .... it's a nice, easy one this month! Jenny will be along in a few days to announce last month's winner!

As some of you will know I celebrated my birthday earlier this month so it seemed fitting that our theme for this month is:

Birthdays!!

And the (optional) extra is ....include CIRCLES OR OVALS somewhere on your project!!

Closing date for entries is: 14 November at 1pm

One random winner will win a £5 voucher to spend in the S J Crafts Shop! Don't forget to check back to see if you are our lucky winner or you are chosen for our favourite 3 entries!!!

Please remember to check out the monthly challenge rules on the tab at the top of this blog, before entering. A quick reminder of our main rules:

Please link directly to your post & not a general link to your blog. 

You must mention and include a link back to the challenge in your entry post. No back linking please - new work only.

The winner must contact me by e mail to receive their prize. A few of our favourites will also be selected to be featured on this blog!

The final (& most important rule) is to have fun!!

Check out the fab samples from our very talented Design Team!

Please do click on the name to visit their blog and leave them a comment ... I know they'd love you to pop by!

(By the way I will be looking for someone new to join our DT soon so watch out for the DT Call!!)

Lisa-Jane - Now We Are 6 (Divided protectors)

I used divided page protectors so that I could include lots of embellishments, multiple photos and space to journal my story.  I focussed on one aspect of my son's birthday - his present of a guitar for the Wii and the Lego Rock Band game!

The papers are My Mind's Eye, stickers and buttons from stash, Cosmo Cricket  and Smash washi tape, glossy accents to pick out the pictures on the journalling block and Black Soot Crackle Paint on the chipboard pieces.

I managed a few circles and ovals too!

Jennifer - Turning 30 Layout

This layout documents my feelings about life as I turned 30! I used papers from the Studio Calico Hey Day 6x6 Pad, and a piece of pink Crate Paper Little Bo Peep Paper. I scattered some sequins (circular!) because the photo was taken at a party and it looked a bit like table confetti. I also used a Little Bo Peep Border Sticker at the top of the page, and a Martha Stewart Doily Lace Punch above the journaling - the scallops match the scallop patterns on my mermaid outfit!

Jenny - Birthday Card

Lots of circles on my card - Papers are from MME - Notalgia pad, the frame around the image and the flowers were cut with nestabities and I used Tattered Rose distress ink around the image and lots of stickles on her wings and around the frame and flowers.


Louise - How Many Birthday Cakes Layout

This year my son had more birthday cakes than usual as his birthday fell in the middle of the week so he ended up with one for his friends, another (actually it was 10 cupcakes!!) with the family and a third cake on his actual birthday.

My supplies include large AC alphas, scraps and stickers from various Echo Park collection kits.

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We can't wait to see your birthday cards, layouts & papercrafting projects 

Please remember to link directly to your blog post and to include a link back to the challenge.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!