Layout 70: April

Hi!

Don't you hate it when you realise you're behind in a task???  At the start of the year I challenged myself to complete 100 layouts this year.  As you can tell by the title, I'm about to show you my 70th layout.  Not too bad, but considering it's the last day of September I should be up to around 75 layouts completed.  Luckily it's school holidays as of tomorrow, so I should have more time for scrapping and hopefully I'll be able to catch up, or better yet, get ahead! 

One of the main focus areas these holidays is catching up on my monthly layouts.  Today's layout is April's - that's how far behind I am on that task!  Oh well...

April was a busy month for us.  Alex had his 8th birthday, Easter, lots of playdates, Little Athletics presentations.... the list goes on...  I used the now retired Elegant Soiree DSP on this layout, mainly because I started it in May and the paper was still current then. *blushing*

I also used the Pinking Heart Border Punch at the top of the DSP section, but it's a little hard to see.

I decided this year I would try to get a Family photo on special occasions, so the feature photo this month was on Alex's birthday.  Gotta love timers on cameras - even if you don't get the most flattering shot!

Ink: Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker

DSP/Cardstock: Elegant Soiree DSP (retired), Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Whisper White

Other: Big Shot, Simple Letters Alphabet Dies, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Circle Punches, Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon

Don't forget to come back on Monday for another layout.  It's the first Monday of the month so it's a new Challenge at Stamp A Memory.  I hope you can join in with the challenge.

Catch you later,

Tina

Layout 66: ouch!

Hi!

Today I have a layout for you using some retiring products.  You don't have very long left at all to get your hands on these before they are gone forever.

The layout is a pretty simple one that shows my son Alex. Well, it shows his back!  He was doing a cooking class at school and ran past the stove just as some older girls were moving a pot of boiling water.  Poor Alex copped the water right down his back.  Some quick thinking teachers got him into a shower which helped a lot.  He still got some blistering, but overall he's a very lucky boy.

He was allergic to the first dressing, which is why there are photos of a few different dressings.  Do you feeling like a mean mummy when you take photos like this?  I do a bit, but then I think that it's still a memory and as just as much right to be preserved as the good ones.

Anyway, the retiring product in this layout is the DSP - Elegant Soiree.  It was a fabulous DSP that was equally as suitable for male projects as female.  I also used my sanding blocks on the layout.  They are sort of retiring.  The old ones are going and new ones will replace them.  The new ones have an assortment of grades so that you'll be able to achieve different effects with each side.

On this layout I sanded the photo edges (a new favourite technique of mine!).  I also sanded the DSP to soften the tones a little.  This was especially good for the Baja Breeze pieces as they were a bit too bright for the layout.  I sanded them twice - once before I die cut/punched them and again after.  I did it before so that the little pieces were less likely to rip after I cut/punched them.  I gave them a light sand afterwards to give them a white edge, which you can hopefully see in the photo above.  Just a tip though - the paper is thinner after sanding and therefore is a bit fragile.  When you stick your letters down they are more likely to tear if you try to lift them, so make sure you place them correctly the first time!

Ink: Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker
DSP: Elegant Soiree (retiring)
Other: Sanding Blocks (being reconfigured), Big Shot, Simple Letters Alphabet Dies, Decorative Label Punch

Catch you later,

Tina

Layout 32: Medal

Hi!

Hmm, I've been a little slack on the blogging front lately.  It's just been one of those weeks.  I've also been slack in keeping up with my scrapping.  I wanted to complete 100 layouts this year, and this layout is only number 32.  Given that it's the end of the first week of June I should be roughly up to layout number 44.  Still totally do-able, but I need to get cracking a little!  I have a few more layouts up my sleeve ready to show you this week, including two for the Stamp A Memory blog.  You'll have to come back on Monday for the first of those and Wednesday for the second.  Anyway...

Today's layout is one I completed before I went off to Convention.  The photos were taken at Alex and Ada's Little Athletics Presentation Day.

They were both pretty excited to be awarded a medal and certificate for their efforts during the season.  I highlighted the title 'medal' by using my Soft Suede Marker to edge each of the letters.  It provides a cleaner line than sponging.  Just ignore the little oopsie on the letter a!

One of my favourite ways to use the Classic Stars Jumbo Wheel is to roll a section and then cut out the individual stars and use them as embellishments.

Stamps: Classic Stars Jumbo Wheel
Ink: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
DSP/Cardstock: Elegant Soiree DSP, Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Soft Suede
Other: Big Shot, Timeless Type Alphabet Dies, Hearts and Brackets Die, Paper Snips, Sponge Daubers, Spiral Border Punch

Catch you later,

Tina

Stamp A Memory February Challenge: is it really?

Hi!

Today I'm here with the Stamp A Memory challenge for April.  The challenge this month is to scrap a photo that is more than 10 years old.  Given that for most of us, more than 10 years ago was pre-digital photos, this certainly was a challenge!  It was a lovely trip down nostalgia lane looking through my older photos, but in the back of my head I had a little voice saying: "your photos should be more organised" and "you should get your negatives scanned to CD".  I must admit that I am very glad to be a scrapper in the digital photography age!

Anyway, on to the layout.  I chose a photo from 1999 that was taken when my husband Rob (then boyfriend!), sister Amanda and I went to see the Madame Tussaud's Wax Works Exhibition in Sydney.

I used the title 'is it really?' because the wax figures were so life-like that it was spooky.  They even had a wax figure of a room attendant, just to trick the unsuspecting!

I decided to chop up the cardboard folder the photo has been stored in and use the Madame Tussaud's logo on the layout.  It completes the visual triangle of embellishments: the buttons, the logo and the flower brad on the journalling box.

I also completed a second page to this layout because we took a heap of photos. You'll have to come back another day to see that because for now it's "Hasta la Vista, Baby".  Yes, I know - very lame!

Ink: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze
DSP/Cardstock: Elegant Soiree DSP, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Other: Big Shot, Timeless Type Alphabet Die, Decorative Label Punch, 1 1/4" Circle L Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Crumb Cake Flower Brad, Crumb Cake Designer Buttons, Sponge Daubers

Catch you later,

Tina

Layout 24: I Am

Hi!

This layout is one of the few I have done that doesn't include one of my children.  I took the photo of myself in the mirror and then added the text in Photoshop.

I used a very limited colour palette to give a striking effect.  I was a little worried about how black the layout was, but I think it worked with the splashes of Sliver/Platinum Shimmer Paint and Baja Breeze.

I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

Ink: Baja Breeze
DSP/Cardstock: Elegant Soiree DSP, Baja Breeze, Basic Black
Other: Scallop Edge Punch, Sponge Dauber, 1/2" Circle Punch, Platinum Shimmer Paint

Don't forget Saturday's blog hop!

Catch you later,

Tina

Elegant Soiree Male Birthday Card

Hi!

A quick post today.  This was a birthday card I made last month for a male friend using Elegant Soiree DSP.  I love the colours in this DSP - they are as equally suitable for a female as a male.

I used the Classic Stars jumbo wheel for the stars on the front.  I rolled the wheel on Very Vanilla cardstock and then cut out the individual stars.  A star brad from the Pretties Kit and a sentiment and it's done!

Stamps: Classic Stars Jumbo Wheel, Happy Moments (2010 SAB)
Ink: Baja Breeze
DSP/Cardstock: Elegant Soiree DSP, Basic Grey, Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze
Other: Paper Snips, Word Window L punch, Star Brad (Pretties Kit)

Catch you later,

Tina