Scrap Map

It's time for the new Scrap Map challenge at Creative Craft World and this month I've done a digi page again... mainly because I'm on my hols and a couple of hundred miles away from my craft room! :lol:

 

 

For my page I've actually used some photos of myself! *gasp*

 

As the journalling explains, I'm almost never in photos because I'm always the one behind the camera taking the photos. Plus I usually look awful in photos! :lol:

 

However, when we spent a (gorgeous, sunny) morning at the beach this week, my hubby actually picked up the camera - for once! - and snapped some pictures of me paddling in the sea. And I thought they were perfect for this month's sketch. :)

 

I used a Creative Victorian digikit called Visual.

 

The Scrap Map challenge is lots of fun and so easy to enter - just make your own project using the sketch provided and link it up at the CCW blog for a chance to win yourself a prize.

 

 

Beat the Christmas Rush - April

The 25th is upon us again, which means it's time for Creative Craft World's linky party plan to get a head start on your Christmas card making - Beat the Christmas Rush! :)

 

If you're new to the idea, it's very simple... each month make 1-5 Christmas cards, post them to your blog and link your entry at the CCW blog before the 25th of the month. It's a lot of fun seeing everyone else's creations and by the time we get to November you'll have a stash of cards ready to go - and may even by lucky enough to pick yourself up a prize along the way. :)

 

For my card this month I went with a fairly Clean and Simple design:

 

 

The starting point for this card was these insanely cute little wooden robot cut-outs that I got recently at Hobbycraft (it was one of those impulse purchases where you have no idea what you're actually going to *do* with them, they're just so cute that you've got to have them! :D).

 

 

I thought they'd look cute on a plain white card so I coloured them with my Promarkers in christmassy colours... and then I suddenly remembered that I have an old Dymo machine that would be perfect for the greeting! After a bit of digging around in the craft room, I found it and it even had red tape in it - perfect! :)

 

 

I ripped a bit of red card and a strip of punchinella and layered them onto my card blank for attaching the robots over the top. I stuck down my Dymo sentiment strip and finished things off with a couple of little gemstones.

 

 

And now onto my choice of my favourite card(s) from last month's BtCR entries.

 

We had some great entries this month but my favourite was this adorable card by Tracey Boley:

 

 

I love the pretty beige and purple colour scheme, the cute image with touches of glitter, and the asymetrical ribbon. Overall, a very striking, but cute, card. :) You can read more about how Tracey made this card at her blog.

 

I'm finding myself really enjoying BtCR as the months go on... it's a nice feeling to actually be ahead of myself a bit for once and to think that I won't be rushing around making Christms cards at the last minute this year! :lol:

 

I'm going to enter my card into the following challenges:

Celebrate the Occasion - Clean and Simple

Craft-Room Challenge - So Sentimental

Ladybug Crafts - Red and White

Cutie Pie Challenge - Clean and Simple

 

 

 

 

Scrap Map Challenge

A new month, a new Scrap Map challenge at Creative Craft World! :)

 

I've gone digi again for my layout this month - much as I love papercrafting, digi is quicker to do and I've been soooooo insanely busy over the past few weeks, mostly due to Easter, school holidays and DD1's birthday! :)

 

 

I used some photos of my two girls having fun hunting for Easter eggs in the garden last weekend and used digi papers and elements from the Sweet Easter kit from Peppermint Creative.

 

We're once again blog hopping around the DT blogs this month, each of whom will be sharing their layout for this challenge. Leave a comment on each blog in the hop to be in with a chance of winning a prize. You should have come here from the Creative Craft World blog and your next stop along the hop is Jen. If you get lost along the way, you'll find a full list of all the blogs in the hop at the CCW blog.

 

Don't forget to enter the challenge yourself to be in with a further chance of winning some goodies - just make a project using the sketch as inspiration - you can check out the sketch at the CCW blog.

 

 

Beat the Christmas Rush

The 25th of the month is upon us once again - Gosh, isn't this year going quickly? And would someone please tell Mother Nature that it's the 25th of March and we are done with the snow now, please?! - and that means it's once again time for Creative Craft World's monthly Beat the Christmas Rush linky party.

 

If you're new to BtCR, the premise is simple... each month, make one (or more, if you'd like) Christmas card, post it to your blog by the 25th of the month and link up your creation at the Creative Craft World blog. The idea is that by November, you'll have a bunch of Christmas cards all ready to go - and there'll be some prizes to be won also. :)

 

So here's my card(s) for this month:

 

 

Yes, this time I actually managed to make more than one! :D I went with a fairly simple design that was suited to mass production.

 

 

I started with a panel of white card and embossed the top of it with a dotted embossing folder.

 

 

I then stamped my images and my sentiment (both Stampin' Up! stamps) and added a length of velvet ribbon and finished things off with a pearl centre for each of the baubles. The completed panels were attached to card blanks using foam pads.

 

Just for fun, I'm going to enter these cards into a couple of challenges:
Christmas Card Challenges - Clean and Simple
Pile It On - Dots
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything Goes
 

So that's my cards for this month, how about the cards entered in February's BtCR? Each month, each of the CCW Design Team pick their favourite from the previous month's entries and this month I've chosen this lovely set of bauble-themed cards by Wendy:

 

 

Aren't they lovely? I love the simple yet striking design and the 3D element to them. Read more about how Wendy made these cards are her blog.

 

Scrap Map Blog Hop

It's time for the new Scrap Map challenge at Creative Craft World and once again we are adding to the fun by having a DT blog hop.

 

Each of the Design Team will be posting their Scrap Map-inspired layout on their blog and if you follow the hop and comment on each of the blogs, there will be a randomly-drawn prize on offer.

 

And, as ever, if you enter the challenge (by making your own layout inspired by our sketch) you will be in with a chance of winning yourself one of CCW's gorgeous kits and a guest design spot.

 

So here's my page for this month:

 

 

I've had a mad busy couple of weeks and the craft pit is in dire need of a major tidy so I decided to do my page digitally this month. I used Photoshop to fussy cut around a photo of my two daughters and used a gorgeous kit by Anja Schernau for Scrapper's Guide to make the page.

 

Thanks for stopping by - you should have come here from the CCW blog and your next stop along the hop is Jen's blog. If you get lost along the way, there is a full list of participating blogs at the CCW blog.

 

Beat the Christmas Rush

It's that time again.

 

It's the 25th of the month and time for the second installment of Creative Craft World's fun new monthly linky party - Beat the Christmas Rush. It's easy to join in with the fun - just make a Christmas card - or more than one if you like! - and link up your BtCR card at the Creative Craft World blog.

 

The idea is that if we all make even just one Christmas card each month during 2013, by the time Christmas come around, we'll have a head start of 11 cards ready to send out. There will be some prizes along the way and also each month the members of the CCW Design Team will each be choosing their favourite from the previous month's entries and posting it on their blog.

 

So with no further ado, here's my card for this month:

 

 

 

I went with a very simple look for my card this month because I was inspired by some of my online crafty friends who've been getting into papercutting. I wanted to have a go at this technique and liked the idea of cutting a simple design from white card and layering it over a white card blank with a simple stamped sentiment. I drew the design in reverse onto the back of the card and cut it out from the reverse side using a craft knife on a glass cutting mat. I quite like the result.*

 

*Note to self for future attempts: Make sure your cutting mat is really nice and clean cos it's a shame to do all that hard work cutting out the design from the rear side and then find that your cutting mat has left a dirty smudge on the front side! :/

 

And now for my favourite card from the January BtCR entries.

 

I loved looking at everyone's creations so thanks to everyone who entered last month, some really gorgeous cards. My favourite is....

 

 

This lovely set of coordinating cards by Wendy. I love the simple but striking design and the way it lends itself to "production line" making. :) You can see full details of how she made them at her blog here. 

 

Scrap Map Blog Hop!

Not only is it time for another Scrap Map challenge at Creative Craft World - seriously, where the heck did January go? I feel like I blinked and missed it!! - but this month we're doing a blog hop too!

 

Each of the Design Team have posted their Scrap Map pages on their blogs... not also is there inspiration galore with some gorgeous pages to enjoy but there's also a prize draw... all you gotta do is pop around the hop and leave a comment on each blog and you could could be the lucky winner. :)

 

And don't forget there's another chance to win, by entering your own project into the Scrap Map challenge this month - make a project inspired by the sketch and link it up at the Creative Craft World blog to be entered into the draw to win one of CCW's fabulous kits, a guest DT spot and a store discount!

 

Here's my page for this month's challenge (I loved this sketch by Sue):

 

 

I used one of the gorgeous professional portrait photos we had taken on DD2's birthday... I love the white background and bright colours in this picture and decided to echo this in my layout, using lots of white space, sections cut from a 12x12 die-cut sheet in fresh green, a flowery border punch and some paper flowers.

 

You should have come here from the Creative Craft World blog and your next stop along the hop is Tricia's Doodles and Swirls blog. If you get lost along the way, you'll find a full list of blog hop posts over at the CCW blog. :)

 

Beat the Christmas Rush

"What's this?" I hear you cry. "Christmas? Already? Didn't we just do that?!"

 

Well, yes, we did, and wasn't it fun? ;) But here's an idea to make next Christmas a little bit.. well... perhaps, a bit less stressful. Cos if you're anything like me, you promise yourself every year that this year you're going to be organised and start making your Christmas cards early so that you're not rushing around at the last minute. And then, next thing you know, it's December, you haven't made any and, yes, you're rushing around at the last minute and desperately looking up the last posting dates for Christmas. ;)

 

So to help us all out with this little conundrum, the team at the Creative Craft World blog are launching a new monthly linky party called Beat the Christmas Rush. The idea is that each month of 2013 you try and make at least one Christmas card - or more if you get the chance. On the 25th of the month (see what we did there? ;D) there will be a BtCR post on the CCW blog with the Design Team sharing their festive makes to help inspire you and a Mr Linky where you can link up your own blog posts of your Christmas Cards.

 

It's gonna be fun, there's gonna be prizes to be won (details on the CCW blog), and at the end of it all, you'll find yourself approaching Christmas 2013 with a stash of Christmas cards already made! Woohoo! It's a win-win. :)

 

So to kick things off, the inaugural BtCR post can be found at the CCW blog here and here is my first Christmas Card of 2013!

 

 

The image is a fab digi stamp from Stitchy Bear Stamps coloured with my Promarkers, the papers are magazine freebies by Kaisercraft and the ribbon is a scrap that's been hanging around my ribbon drawer for forever! :)

 

Ooh and before I go, as part of the BtCR fun, each month the members of the CCW Design Team will be also picking their favourite card from those linked up in the previous month's BtCR linky party. Obviously, this being our first BtCR, we don't have previous entries to choose from so instead the DT have scoured blogland/Pinterest etc for cards that have caught their eye. And here's the one I've chosen to feature:

I found this gorgeous card by Joy Taylor on Pinterest - I love the clean and simple lines of this card and all the delicious texture.. dry embossing, heat embossing, baker's twine. Lush. You can read all about how she made this card on her blog post here.

 

Mini Kit Challenge

It's time for more fun with mini kits at the Creative Craft World blog today with the new mini kit challenge.

 

The DT were given a gorgeous mini kit to create with and this is the result of my endeavours:

 

 

I made 3 cards (and tbh have enough bits left over to probably make another 2-3! :D). I loved the colours in this kit - the warm brown and creams, with a touch of soft yellow, are perfect for either masculine or feminine cards. I'd like to think that my creations could be just as suitable for a man as for a woman - which just goes to show you that with the right papers/colours, even butterflies can work on masculine cards! :)

 

 

 

For this card I used three strips of patterned paper against a cream card base. I used a Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers die to cut a butterfly shape out of the centre strip. I covered one of the chipboard butterflies from the kit in more patterned paper and attached it over the butterfly apperture.

 

 

 

On this card I went mad with the patterned papers, layering border-punched strips of all the papers from the kit onto a beige card base. I covered two more of the chipboard butterflies in the dark brown patterned paper and added them to the card, along with the butterfly shape I'd die-cut out of the paper stip for the card above. To finish I stamped a sentiment onto cream card, matted it onto patterned paper and attached with foam pads.

 

 

 

 

Finally, I made a masculine Valentine's card. To start with, I rounded the corners of a white card blank and then layered cream and beige card, rounding the corners on each. I cut pennants from three patterned papers and layered them onto the card, letting them overhang the edge. I cut a panel of brown card, rounded the corners, and ran it through a Tim Holtz embossing folder. I inked over it a little with Tea Dye Distress Ink and inked the edges then attached it with foam tape, tucking the little tag under the edge.

 

For the buttons, I coated the chipboard buttons in Tea Dye Distress Ink and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. I then inked them again, randomly, and added Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder, knocking some of the powder off before heat embossing. The result is a fab "rusted" effect. I tied baker's twine through the buttons and attached to the card with foam pads. For the title, I cut letters from patterned paper and glued them onto beige cardstock and cut it into pennant shapes before attaching.

 

And that was my little trio of cards. :)

 

You can be in with the chance to win yourself one of these gorgeous mini kits by entering the mini kit challenge - just make a project measuring 12x12" or less and link your entry up at the CCW blog.

 

Scrappy New Year!

Woohoo! My first scrapbook page of 2013! :)

 

I haven't actually done much scrapbooking recently. It was what got me into papercrafting and will always be my first love but these days I seem to do a lot more cardmaking than scrapbooking... aside from anything, I don't have to clear as much space on my chaotic craft desk to work on a card! :lol:

 

But what better inspiration to get the scrapbooking juices flowing than a challenge... and a scrap map one at that? :)

 

That's right, the new Scrap Map challenge is up at the Creative Craft World blog today with a fab sketch to inspire your pages. Here's what I made:

I scrapped my DD1's first ever school photo. :) I used navy blue and white cardstock, to match her school uniform, and spritzed Glimmer Mist over a doily and through an alphabet stencil.

 

I then stamped a few stars (a freebie stamp from Craft Stamper magazine) and coloured them in with a blue metallic Promarker. I added a title using alpha stickers and Thickers, doodled a border around the photo and around the white cardstock and wrote my journalling in white gel pen.

To join in the challenge, just make a scrapbook page, or other project, inspired by the sketch and link your entry up at the CCW blog. It's great fun and you could win yourself a prize! :)

It's the Final Countdown!

Da-da-daaa-dah, dada-da-da-daaaah!

 

Heee! Couldn't resist! :)

 

But today is indeed the last day of Creative Craft World's Christmas Countdown.... and you know what that means, don't you? Yup, tomorrow's December. Christmas is almost here folks! :D

 

So we have one more project to share with you and it's a beauty... Melissa has made these stunning Christmas decorations (click on the link to see more about how to make these):

 

Aren't they gorgeous?

 

I hope you've enjoyed all the varied creations the Design Team have shared with you over the course of November. Don't forget, if you've been inspired to have a go at one of the projects featured, please do post a link on the Creative Craft World blog and let us see it.

 

And above all, have a very Merry Christmas! :)

 

It's a Gift!

Sue has a fantastic project to share today for Creative Craft World's Christmas Countdown... check out these adorable little gift boxes, each made from one sheet of A4 card! Click the link above for details of how Sue made them.

Our final Countdown project will be posted tomorrow. :)

Gifts Galore...

Today's Christmas Countdown project at Creative Craft World is a lovely gift set courtesy of Lou... a bottle tag and a gift box. Click on the link above to go to Lou's blog and see more details*.

 

 

The Countdown will be back tomorrow with more festive inspiration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Apols, I've tried multiple times to rotate this photo and it just won't let me!

A warming thought

If you're feeling the chill at this time of year then you'll love Susi's latest project for the Creative Craft World Christmas Countdown - some fabulous hand-made pocket warmers!

 

 

Check back tomorrow for another inspiring project.

Minibook time...

We're nearing the end of the Christmas Countdown at Creative Craft World now with just a few more projects to share. Today is Sarah's turn and she has created this gorgeous envelope book:

 

 

Pop back for another festive project tomorrow!

 

Scrap that Xmas!

If you're anything like me you've got a bunch of photos from Christmases past still waiting to be scrapped. So to help inspire you, today's offering in the Christmas Countdown at Creative Craft World is a gorgeous Christmas-themed scrapbook page courtesy of Sarah:

 

 

Check back tomorrow for more festive inspiration.