Crate Class.

Seen as the weather isn't going to be that great how about having a go at a class? I have created this page using some of the gorgeous Crate Paper Brook range.
You Will Need .......
Papers - Crate Paper Brook
Die Cuts - Crate Paper Brook
Alphas - AC thickers nutmeg, Adornit tiny cardstock stickers
Paint Dabber - Pool
How To......
1. Cut a hole approx 9" in diametre in your background paper and then distress the edges of both the edges of the hole and the circle you have cut out. Add a few lines of stitching around the hole. Take the top of your paint dabber and using a paint brush add some different sized circles across the bottom of the hole and a few up the sides.
2. Matt your two photo adding a punched tab to them both and distress the edges of your matts, add a line of stitching to both photos.
3. Cut two strips of paper, one 7" and one 7.5", using a border punch create an edge on the longer strip.
4. Stick a piece of paper onto the back of your base paper filling in the hole.
5. Add the circle that you cut out earlier but stick it slightly off centre so that part of the base hole still shows.
6. Cut out another circle approx 8" in diametre and fix that on top after distressing the edges.
7. Cut out a small semicircle and add it to the left hand side of your page tucking it under the largest circle.
8. Add the two strips of paper across the bottom of the circles and stick your matted photos on top.
9. I have created my title using different rub ons that I had in my stash and some AC thickers.
10. Add some of the die cut shapes cutting out some leaf shapes to add to the flower, I have also added some old rub ons sticking them onto patterned paper and then cutting them out to create more substantial embellishments. I have layered up some of my embellishments using silicone glue to add extra dimension.
11. Using the tiny alphas add some journaling around the outside of the hole.
12. Scrunch the corners of the base paper and add some paint around the edge of your page.





















I hope you enjoy having a go at this and as always we would love to see your interpretations, just leave a link to your page in the comments box if you don't mind sharing.
How are you getting on with this months challenge? We have had some great enteries and it seems to be getting alot of you to really experiment using paint. You have still got a couple of weeks to have a go, just leave a link to your page in the comments box of the challenge posting or email it across to us over at sarah@sarahscardsltd.com. You could be in with a chance to win a £10 e-voucher and the opportunity to join us in creating an example layout for the next challenge which will be featured on this blog.

Man Of The House

Vanessa has been busy getting creative with the Bella Blvd Man Of The House range, perfect for those layouts of the men in your life! I know I sometimes struggle with creating pages which are more masculine as I am always drawn to more feminine papers but Vanessa has put together a stunning page which we hope will inspire you.

"I must admit, I was a bit scared with these "manly" papers but they have definitley grown on me and I'm really pleased with this layout. I've cut up the Hambly overlay and just used the circles. I painted an area in the centre of the background cardstock with pearly white paint and added some extra paint detail around the edges. The Bella Bits was perfect for cutting up and using as journaling on the page."

Strictly No Parking.

As promised here is another layout that Lou has created using the Jilibean Soup New England Chowder range.

"With this LO I used the stripes on Harry's t-shirt as inspiration, and used strips of patterned paper to form a large mat for the photo. I cut up the No Parking sign to make my title, and machine stitched through it. The heart was cut out from card, covered in Pink Paislee Artisan tape and then trimmed back to shape. I machine stitched around this too, before layering it onto the page with strips of card and more tape and a sprout. I added the tiny alphas last. I used small pieces of tape to secure the photo to the page, to give a kind of poster/flyer feel."




















Don't forget this months challenge, you have until the 14th June to post a link to your layout or email it across to us at sarah@sarahscardsltd.com. You could win a £10 e-voucher and a chance to join the design team in creating an example layout for our next challenge.

Here We Go Again....

I thought it was about time that we showed you the rest of the pages that the very talented Lou has been creating with the Jilibean Soup New England Chowder range.

"I wanted to create a LO to record Drew's obsession with the garage toy that both Oliver and Harry were obsessed with. The photos were full of really bright colours so I turned them to black and white so that they weren't too in your face. I played with the colour in photo shop on the main photo so that Drew and the car stayed in colour.The blue car embellishment was threaded onto the lovely string that held the label on the Artisan tape, so that it can 'drive' along the tape road. I punched a few of the cars out with a circle punch and added them with foam pads to give the LO more dimension."


































Lou has also used some of the gorgeous Pink Paislee Atrisan teal tape , Jilibean corrugated alphas and Adornit tiny cardstock stickers.
Check back tomorrow to see what else Lou has been creating.

Up For A Challenge?

Are you up for another challenge? Our challenge to you this month is quite simple....to use paint on your page or card. Simply post a link to your creation in the comments box or email it across to us at sarah@sarahscardsltd.com by 14th June and you could be in with a chance of winning a £10 e-voucher and the opportunity to join the design team designing an example layout for the next challenge.
The team have created some example layouts using paint.

Louise has spritzed over a swirl mask and then stitched along the swirls, she has also painted her title letters and then stamped them as originally they didn't all match.

Lou has created some wonderful splatters by misting some water onto the top of a paint dabber and stamping it down onto the paper, a very messy texhnique but very effective! She has also used paint dabbers on acrylic stamps for the title, blending yellow and orange into each other. Once the paint had dried she has used a fine black pen to outline and add circles, and filled some of these with a little spot of white paint. She stamped the circles using paints that picked out the colours from the whirly pop, and after distressing the edges I added a button to the centre.

I have painted a scalloped border around the distressed semi circle and added some paint around the edge of the page. I have also decorated my letters using paint on an acrylic stamp.

Cathy has created some great paint splats by flicking paints at her page.

Lianne was inspired by her photo and used a straw to blow paint across her page to create a spitl effect, she has also painted her letters to co-ordinate with her page.

Vanessa used paint with a glitz roller stamp to create her background kraft paper, she has also painted her title letters using paint dabbers and mod podges over the top.

I hope we have given you a few idea of how you can add paint to your pages and we can't wait to see what you create!

Sketch Challenge Winner

The time has come again to announce this months challenge winner, there were so many absolutley stunning layouts to choose from we were really spoilt for choice. The team chose Daphnes fantastic interpretation of Rachels sketch entitled "Stubbly Beard", well done Daphne! If you send us your email we will get your prize to you.




















The next challenge will be going live on Saturday and we have chosen something a little bit different this month so watch this space!

Mini Me Class

Are you looking for something to do today? How about giving this class a go?

You will need.
Pink Paislee 365 degrees paper
Kraft paper
Jenni Bowlin pin and butterfly
Prima lace
Large and medium retro flower punch
Small circle punch
Bling
Bazzill just the edge
Thickers
Small alphabet stamps

How to……
1. Gut the Believe paper and sew a piece of circular kraft paper over the hole distressing the edges.
2. Create a hoop from the piece of Believe paper that you have left.
3. Ink the edges of your photo and mat it onto the Think Big paper.
4. Cut two rectangles of paper one from Daydream and one Imagine.
5. Cut a strip of Be Free and ribble it.
6. Fix the hoop onto your page but leave the bottom unstuck, thread the ribbled strip through the hoop and layer your two rectangles in behind. Now you can stick the bottom of the hoop down.
7. Cut the end of one of the flip notes and tuck it along the side of your largest rectangle.
8. Stick a piece of chipboard onto the back of your matted photo, make sure it is about 1cm smaller all around. Cut a piece of prima lace into two and add them onto your page ensuring that when you stick your matted photo on the ends are covered.
9. To create the flower, punch out a large and medium flower and a small circle, ink all the edges and curl the petals. Layer them up together and add some bling to the centre.
10. Cut two pieces from the Bazzill just the edge and stick them so that the flower will hide the two ends.
11. Stick the flower onto the layout and push the pin down in behind.
12. Add your journaling around the edge of the hoop.
13. Stick on your title and butterfly.

I hope you enjoy the class and we would love to see what you create, just pop a link to your page into the comments box.

Today is the last day of the sketch challenge so if you want to join in you had better get scrapping! Just post a link to your layout in the comments box or email your page across to sarah@sarahscardsltd.com.

And Finally!

I did say that Cathy had created some stunning pages with this paper range and here is her final one. She has added some Pink Pailsee Artisan Swirls which I think really compliment the papers beautifully.

"These are the first pictures of Olivia with her little sister so I wanted to keep this page 'clean' to showcase them. The Pink Paislee Artisan Elements were perfect for adding that 'something special' and kept the journalling seperate from the photo's."

More Pink Plum

As promised here are some more gorgeous layouts and a card that Cathy has created using the new Crate Paper Pink Plum range.

My new years resolution was to make a card from the left overs from every layout I make throughout 2010, it's surprising how many I have and it's only May!!

For this layout I just cut the papers into different sized strips at different lengths & placed them over one side of my photo mat, I cut the inner flower image petals with my craft knife & rolled every other one to add depth. I placed my title onto plain paper & cut into it to add interest it's also raised with 3D tape.I love how these papers/colours look on Kraft cardstock too!

This collection was perfect for these photo's of Olivia but I wanted them to stand out so I started off with the white cardstock as a base. I also wanted to use the scalloped edge paper in a different way than I normally would so I cut it down to use as two corners. The butterfly & flower stem was handcut from another peice. The rose was very easy to make, I just rolled it, turning the top edge over as I went & stitching it in place before adding a pearl to the centre & adhering with strong sticky dots.

Pink Plum

Do you ever see a paper range and think, yes its very nice but they just doesn't inspire me? That is exactly what I thought when I saw these Crate paper Pink Plum papers, that was until I saw what Cathy did with them! She has created some absolutley stunning pages and has left me totally inspired and they are now on my "must have list".
Crate Paper is great for distressing as it is lovely and thick, Cathy wanted to use lots of photos on this page so has opted to use small squares to showcase them which works perfectly. She has changed her photos to sepia as it works so well with the papers and makes them really stand out. To add extra depth to her page she has layered up some of the squares, she has also created a heart by using different sized adhesive pearls.

There will be a few more of Cathys gorgeous pages to see later in the week.

The Sketch challenge deadline is getting ever closer, you have until the 10th May to join in and be in with a chance to win a £10 e-voucher and design an example layout for the next challenge which will feature on the blog. Just email your entry across to sarah@sarahscardsltd.com or post a link to your page in the comments box.