Buttons Everywhere!

This weekend I am at Debden House in the Epping Forest. Every year I go there with a group of lovely scrapbooking friends. This started off seven years ago with the Blossom Babes group on UKS and has grown and adapted along the way.

A small tradition has developed where we all make one another a small gift as a memento of the weekend.  This year I made these necklaces, one for each person in their favourite colours.

 

I made a shape with the Cricut and adapted it in the Cricut Craft Room Programme. Then with Adobe (and a little help from Emily we designed and printed this background and the names onto the card die cuts.

The necklaces were made by adapting the instructions from two tutorials I found on the Crafty Ribbons Blog. Here and Here. The first for the basic pattern of the buttons and the second because I wanted a proper clasp to secure the necklace rather than just tying the ribbon behind the neck. Otherwise the organza ribbon I used would quickly start to fray.

  

 

 

 Hope you like them girls.

Thanks for looking.

Lynn x

Our Glorious Queen

As 2012 is a big year for Britain, with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee I wanted to feature this in my June Design Team layout for Scrapology.

I love these Portebello Road papers from Papermania and they were prefect for the theme. I googled images of the Queen and picked these two as they were just right being red white and blue. I think they were photographed by veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards

In addition I used straw, red and indigo Bazzill, Best of British and Vintage union jack ribbons from Crafty Ribbons. The red, white and blue Divine twine is from Papermaze, the heart doily is also from Papermania.

We are scraplifting this layout by Rô Phillipson, and the technique is to use 'white space'.

This is the Page Maps Sketch Rô created her layout from, so we used it too.

Here is what I did to make my layout:
Take the Union Jack paper and gut this to make a 1 ½” frame to save some of the paper for future use.
Cut the Straw Bazzill to measure 11” x 11”, ink the edges and stick down centrally over the border paper.

All the following were prepared and then stuck into place when they were all ready and positioning worked out. Trim the two photos to measure about 3 ½” x 3 ½”, stick to the cream paper. Trim around close to the edges of the photo with stamp effect scissors. Mount these onto the blue polka dot paper measuring about 4” x 8”.

Stamp and punch the Stampin’ Up decorative label onto a piece of Straw Bazzill cut from where you know your photos will cover the gap! Ink the edges and write your details in the centre.
Lightly ink the heart doily with blue and red chalk inks.
Cut letters from blue card and their shadows from the red, glue blue to red, using the Storybook Cartridge and the Cricut.
Prepare four ribbon flags – for each one cut ribbon so you have two whole flags and a small amount of the next flag on both sides. Glue together with DST tucking the ends in so they don’t fray, giving you a double sided ribbon flag.
Now work out where everything will be placed, mark lightly with pencil and remove. Stamp with the Prima brick wall stamp so some of the image will show from behind your items when they are stuck in place.
Run a length of DST across the bottom of the layout about 3” up from the bottom. Lay the ‘Best of British’ ribbon across pleating it randomly as you go, making sure it’s flat where the photo will be. Tuck the ribbon ends under the cardstock at the edges.

For the flag poles - Cut 3 lengths of twine as long as you want them, stick all three firmly to the page under where the label will be. Thread a flag or two onto each length of twine. Bring each length up towards the top and spread them out and thread each one through to the back of the layout with a large needle. Add a button or brad to the top. Stick the ribbon flags into place on the layout.
Now add all your prepared items. Stick the heart doily down then the photos. Add the label with 3D foam pads. Finally arrange and stick down the title.

Thanks for looking and I hope you will take part in the challenge. Pop over to Scrapology and find out more on the 1st June ' W is for White Space' post.

Lynn x

Fiaries at the Bottom of the Garden

This layout shows the girls dressed for a Dance Fiction show, when they danced to Secret Garden in their ballet piece, way back in 2001.  I made this on Saturday at the Paper Maze crop.

I made this layout using this Page Maps sketch in response to the Imaginesce challenge on the Page Maps blog.

I used:

Basic Grey - Indie Bloom Collection - Flamenco, panache and cilantro papers, element and alphabet stickers. Also Alphabet stickers from the Out of Print collection.

Punches - Martha Stewart corner and border punches.

Cardstock - Black Bazzill

Buttos - Crafty Ribbons

Craftwork Cards - Card Candi

Stamini' Up - Punch and stamps (decorative label)

Other - decorative pins, flat backed pearls, DMC thread. Memento Ink, Colorbox chalk inks.

Thanks for looking

Lynn x

Hearts and Ribbons

Over on Scrapology you will see full details of the January Card Challenge.

Our sponsor for this month's challenge is Ali from Craft Ribbons.

The challenge is - Say it with Ribbons - create a 'Love Is...' card .... an ideal theme as Valentine's day falls next month the day before the end of this challenge.

These two cards use ribbons from Crafty Ribbons, Stampin' Up heart treat cups and Making Memories Love Notes papers. The first card treat cup is full of heart confetti, an so doesn't need to be accessed from behind. The second card contains pink smarties and so I used the foil trick I talked about in yesterday's post. I also found a little charm to add.

You will see many more cards on the scrapology site all made by the design team and Carin our guest designer for this month.

Ali has offered a prize of the 'Love Is...' set of all 16 ribbons featured by the DT.

The prize is available to UK residents only.

Please comment with a link yo your blog entry or email an image using the address in the sidebar.

Looking forward to seeing your cards.

Our thanks to Ali and Carin.

Good bye to Jo

I have worked with Jo for several years, and she is a good friend and great colleague. In the New Year she is off to Australia to start a new life with her husband a two young children.  We will all miss her, but wish her well with her new venture.

I made this card for the team to give Jo on her last day.

It's and 8" x 8" scalloped card blank from Craftwork Cards.

The papers are two identical sheets of Sweet Meadow paper also from Craftwork Cards, I cut one sheet to fit the card and used he second to layer up the flowers with 3D foam pads. Then I added, flat backed pearls and gems, buttons, stickles and perfect pearls.

All the edges are inked with chalk inks.

The letters are American Craft Thickers, Dear Lizzy pink foam.

The buttons are stitched in place with DMC thread.

A wide organza ribbon was tied in a bow at the top of the card.

We are really going to miss you Jo, but enjoy your self and keep in touch. xxx

Seam Binding Ribbon Roses Tutorial

Here is a tutorial for making the seam binding ribbon rose I made for my November Scrapology layout adapted from Crafty Ribbons instructions.
Using an embroidery stitch called Spiders Web Rose, but rather than sewing on fabric this uses card.

The completed rose.

1. Gather the bits you need around you, scissors, large needle, thread, tape, card and about two metres of seam binding ribbon (for a 6cm bloom).

2. On the card mark a five pointed star and the centre point, and pierce holes at these points. Thread the large needle with some sewing thread. I have used a bright contrasting colour thread for the tutorial, but it doesn't show when the rose is complete, so any colour will do. Secure the thread on the back of the card with a piece of tape. Sew through the holes to create what will look like Spiders Web.

3. Secure the thread on the back of the card with another piece of tape.

4. Thread the seam Binding ribbon into the big needle and sew through the centre hole leaving a small length at the back of the card that you can stick down with more tape.

5. This is the front view. The ribbon has come up through the centre, now pass the needle under one of the threads.

6. Allow the ribbon to cover over the next thread then under the next. It is IMPORTANT to continue working in the same direction at ALL times. Pull the ribbon so it is tight in the centre, but not so tight that it puts a strain on the threads. Continue with the weaving technique of over one thread under the next thread. As you have an odd number of threads (5) you will go round in a circle.

7. Keep going round, if you can still see the holes you need to continue. Allow the ribbon to twist, this will create more interesting shape rose petals.

8. This rose is almost finished, it requires no more petals.

9. To finish, take the needle back down through one of the holes. Secure the ribbon on the back with a piece of tape as before.

Cut away the excess card from around the completed rose. It is now ready to attach to your card or layout.

These instructions are adapted from those supplied by Crafty Ribbons, where I purchased the ribbons for this project and you will find plenty more colours on their website.

Baby Lynn - Scrapology LO for November

Here is how I made my DT entry for the  November Scrapology Scraplift Challenge.  The baby in this photo is me in Beckenham Recreation Ground with my Mum and Dad back in 1960.

We chose to scraplift this delightful layout by Hannah Young of Handmade Hannah, a blog well worth a visit.

We asked people entering the challenge to use this sketch and to make their flowers from fabric, ribbon or lace.

For my layout I used papers from Fancy Pants' Beach Babe Collection

Lemonade

Jumping Fish 

Tropical 

Cards 

I also used white, green and lemon Bazzill

2.5 metres each of lemon and pink seam binging ribbon from Crafty Ribbons

Martha Stewart punches

Cricut Mother's Day Bouquet Cartridge

Letter stickers from My Little Shoebox

Button, DMC embroidery thread and chalk inks.

Here is a close up of the roses, please see separate post for tutorial on how these were made.

1. Gut 'Tropical' paper leaving a frame of 1" all around the sides. Cut white Bazzill to measure 10 1/2" x 10 1/2". Round the corners of the Bazzill and ink the edges. Mount Bazzill centrally over the frame leaving a border of 3/4" all round with the stripes running vertically.

2. Cut a piece of 'Lemonade' paper 6" x 7" with pink side showing, trim top and bottom with border punches, ink the edges and mount 4" x 6" photo about 3/4" down from the top and right up to the right side. Punch a lace strip from lemon Bazzill, ink the edges and stick this along the bottom edge of the photo. Mount the matted photo to the layout about 2" in from the right and 2" down from the top of the layout.

3. To make the three decorative strips on the left, Cut a piece from the top, grid area of the 'Jumping Fish' paper, about 2 1/2" wide and 8 1/2" long, trim this with a deep edge punch.

Cut a strip 12" strip of  'Lemondae' paper, then cut this into two pieces, about 7" and 4". trim one short end of each of these strips with a decorative punch. Ink all three pieces. Use the gingham side of the longer piece and line this up along the right side of the grid paper. the bottom end can overhang by about 1". Take the shorted piece and use this pink side up stick this to the left of and parallel to the gingham piece. Just the punched decorative en will overlap on this piece, so all three pieces are graduated at the bottom of the layout. Stick these three pieces to the left of the photo mount, about 2" down from the top, and close up to the mount.

4. Select and cut out a journalling card from the 'Cards' paper, ink and add your details. Attach, overlapping the top left of your photo.

5. Make you three roses using your seam binding ribbon and the instructions in the tutorial (see separate, earlier post). The large one is 2", the others are 1 1/2" and 1".Arrange and attach to the layout.

6. Die cut 4 leaves (2 x 2", 1 1/2" and 1") using the Cricut and the mother's day bouquet cartridge, or cut using another method.

7. Using mini letter stickers add a small title.

8. Use a scrap of ribbon and a button and thread to add detail to the bottom left of the layout.

Thanks for looking, pop over to scrapology (F is for Fabric Flowers) if you wish to have a go at this challenge which runs until 5th December. If you like the papers and ribbons shown here, there may be a few kits available on Scrapology.