March Workshops

The workshops for March are now up on the website you to see....Here are a few sneeks...

You can see the workshops here....workshops i hope to see you there!

October Afternoon Campfire

I'm a huge fan of the October Afternoon paper ranges, and even though I'm not exactly an outdoors sort of person, when I received the Campfire papers I knew they would be versatile enough for me to create some fantastic pages.

I'm really into yellow at the moment, and decided to create a bright and cheery page for this photo of my in-laws enjoying a tea break at the seafront in Bembridge last year. I wanted to really layer up the details and create a 3-dimensional look for this page - here is how I did it.

I cut the backing paper from the Camp Stove paper, and inked the edges with Scattered Straw Distress Ink before mounting it on some yellow Bazzill. I layered up a range of different ribbons, tickets and punched paper pieces at the bottom of the layout, before mounting a journalling card and my photograph on top of these.

I added the title using American Crafts chipboard Thickers - I never bother to be too careful about lining them up as I think this adds to the charm of the page.

I created a small butterfly flourish with some butterfly paper shapes punched from the reverse of the Camp Stove paper and used some tiny sticky gems to form trails. The chipboard is from an old Scenic Route range.

I added the date using an October Afternoon date sticker, some Making Memories Tiny Alphas and layered these on another punched butterfly.

The finishing touch was to define the photo using an Autumn Leaves border stamp inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

A Card and a Sketch

Hi, it's Lisa here.
I have put a little card sketch together for you today.
Here's the card I made using the sketch as inspiration.



I used chipboard butterflies as templates
to draw around to make these layered butterflies. I've then stuck them together securing the 2 pins in between the 2 butterflies to get this look. I've then sprayed them with a little glimmer mist to finish.



I used:
Papers - Basic Grey, Basics,My Minds Eye,Lost and Found,Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mist - Sweets Clover,
Chipboard
Ink Pad - Distress Ink, Pins, Gems, and a Martha Stewart Edger Punch.

Feel free to use the sketch and link back here to show off what you made.
Lisa xx

Age your Page...

The last of my pieces made with the gorgeous new Je t'Adore line is this shaped page. I have used lots of aging and distressing techniques which are all very simple, but also effective!

Firstly, on my page I echoed the brown rock walls in the photo by covering some Technique Tuesday Swanky Frames in wet tissue paper, Mod Podge, and glimmer mist

*TIP: I spritzed the moulded frames with the glimmer mists before they dried so that the dry Mod Podge wouldn't resist the colour*


Anyway, the first aging technique I used was this worn stitching effect. Simply poke some holes around the edge of some paper, and use a needle and thread to stitch cotton through a few of the holes. Use a pair of scissors to roughly tear the thread, rather than using a neat cut, and leave the ends frayed and hanging. Repeat this in and out of a few holes randomly around your paper. Gently tugging on the thread will also distress the holes and add to the effect.

Secondly, I used decoupage style layering. Many flowery papers now-a-days are perfect for cutting out and layering up, as a vintage style embellishment. I use silicone glue to raise elements up.

Lastly, to really simply distress almost every element of your page, just use a brown ink pad and gently brush the edges of everything. Tearing or sanding edges before doing this really works well too!

Once my page was complete, I mounted it all onto a 12" x 12" sheet of acetate to support it so I could show it off at home!

Giveaway winner!

Thanks for all your comments for our giveaway, we've enjoyed reading them! And you'll be pleased to know that we will be stocking many of the ranges mentioned :) If you haven't already seen, the new Stella & Rose collection from MME has already arrived (and it is truly gorgeous!).

Anyway, we have our winner - thanks to random.org - and as you can see it's comment number 6.
So congratulations to Cassie Bassie, a pizza box with Making Memories Je t'Adore papers plus some matching cardstock and embellishments will be coming your way soon - just email vanessa@papermaze.co.uk with your address :)

Journaling spots ahoy!

One of the things that i have an abundance of is journalling cards....you?

I have lots of them...all from different manufacturers, different sets, shapes and sizes.

Today i have picked out some of my favourite ones...JilliBean Soup journalling sprouts...

But today i have not used them the way they are meant to be used....Instead i used them as the main focus on my page...

I grabbed these ones...

With the focus on the sprouts i made this page...

I used all most all the sprouts on this page..layering some of them on top of each other...Each circle is made from a sprout.

here are some close ups...

 I cut out some bits that i liked from the sprouts to add to others ...adding some stitching round the outsides also adds some detail...

Do you hoard yours or do you use them!!!! Now i have used them i cannot wait for the new ones to come out!!!!

Time for...

...a giveaway!! It's been a while since we've done a giveaway, but I'm sure you haven't forgotten how it works :) As I'm sure you know, CHA was at the end of last month and all the manufacturers revealed their latest products. So, all you have to do is post a comment below telling us which new products from CHA you're looking forward to landing on our shores and we'll choose a winner at random! And the prize? Well, with Valentine's Day just around the corner, what better than a selection of Je t'Adore papers from Making Memories, plus some co-ordinating Bazzill and embellishments!
Competition closes at 5pm Sunday and the winner will be announced shortly afterwards! Good luck :)

DREAMER

Hi all a simple layout i just love the colour contrast in these papers. A you need to do to achieve this layout is mount three different sizes of cardstock as your back ground.I decided to keep this layout to the right hand side of the layout all you need is four different strips of patterned papers and place as shown. glue your photo into place . Punch different size flowers out of the patterned paper and place to the bottom left of your photo add stamped flourish for more detail. Add a circle of adhesive stones around your photo to draw the eye.. Finish the layout by adding your title and a few buttons ..

More Je t'Adore!

As promised, here is another page using the gorgeous new Making Memories line called Je t'Adore.

I used the Red Ledger sheet as a dark background to hold my lighter coloured embellishments.

And talking of embellishments, I created the flowers to match, and below are the instructions on how to simply make the larger one yourself...

You will need:

2 1/2" scalloped circle punch

Patterned Paper

Netting

Wet Glue

Ink Pad

Long Armed Brad

Paper Piercer/Cocktail Stick

Firstly, you need to punch out a whole, 3/4 and half a scalloped circle with this 2 1/2" punch. Ink the edges of your shapes lightly with a brown/black ink pad.

Now cut out three lengths of this May Arts Net. You will need to cut one around 6" long, one around 5" and two thirds of the width, and a circle about 1" across.

Next, you need to scrunch up the shapes you have punched, and make the two part-circles into cone shapes by gluing the straight edges together. I used a small peg to be able to carry on working with these as they dry.

Now squash the two cones to flatten them and add more texture and loads of dimension to your flower.

You can now start constructing the flower. Firstly, get your full circle and poke a paper piercer through the center of it.

Keeping this in place, add a blob of glue around the centre of your circle, then thread your largest length of net around your piercer. You can weave the pointed end through the holes, gathering it up and bringing the net around in a full circle.

Now carefully hold this in place whilst you add another blob of glue to the centre...

...and add the middle sized paper circle. Any tearing only adds to the slightly distressed effect!

Continue to add the next layers of paper and net alternatively until you end up with your entire flower constructed on your paper piercer.

Carefully hold your flower together whilst you pull your piercer out, and replace it with a long armed brad through the center holes. Open the arms of the brad the other side to hold it all in place.

You can now trim your net and arrange the paper petals until you are happy.

This can be made with any coloured or sized paper petals, and any coloured net and brad to suit your project.

New Making Memories Je t'Adore!

Just in time for Valentines Day, Making Memories have just bought out a yummy new line of pretty papers called Je t'Adore. With loads of reds and pinks, they are perfect for your loved up Valentine photos, or as I have done here, for sending a message to a loved one!

I started with a scalloped heart Bazzil background, and traced around it onto the 'Tres Jolie Brocade' patterned paper. I then cut it out slightly smaller than the bazzil sheet, and cut out a section through the middle for my photos. I stitched this patterned paper down, leaving the center edges to be curled up.

Then I stitched my row of photos onto some of the pink spotty paper, and adhered it down with a cut out heart from the 'Heart Doilies paper.


To make my title stand out, I rolled the edges of the backing patterned paper, and stuck my title down onto strips of acetate. I then glued the title strips onto the rolled paper, lifting it off the page!

I simply added a crystal swirl and some paper roses up the right hand side, and some small detail to the top left to keep it balanced.

Soon I shall be back with another page from this gorgeous new Je t'Adore line, including a paper flower tutorial!