flower tutorial

I don't know about you but I love being able to create my own embellishments for my scrapbook pages. Lou has made this stunning page using Fancy Pants Like Father Like Son papers and has embellished the page with three handmade flowers.

I have had a go at creating the flowers and put together a step by step guide for you.

You will need....

Circle punches in 3 different sizes

A piece of double sided patterned paper

Adhesive

Ink or paper distresser

Silicone glue or foam pads

Punch out your largest circle, this will form the base of your flower.

You will need 7 circles using the middle sized punch.

The smallest circle will form the centre of your flower, you could use the middle sized circle if you prefer.

I have inked all the edges of the circles both front and back but for an alternative look you could distress them.

Fold both sides of each circle in to create the shape below. Glue the bottom section together.

Add some glue to the centre of your base circle and start adding your folded circles leaving a small gap between them.

When you have added all the circles it should look something like this.

To finish add the smallest circle to the centre of the flower using silicone glue or a foam pad. Lou has also added a button.

Don't forget this months challenge, all you have to do is create a summery page and include distressing somewhere on your layout. You could be in with the chance to win a £10 e-voucher and the opportunity to join the design team in creating an example layout for the October challenge. All the details can be found here.

Blur

In our last post Lou showed us some great ideas for using paint and embossing powders, if that wasn't enough to inspire you to have a go here is another page packed with ideas.

1. Decorate your backgroud paper with a sprinkling of embossing powder, apply the heat from underneath the cardstock to prevent the powders being blown around your page.
2. You the embossing powders to create borders, instead of using a stamp pad to ensure the powders only go where you want them add lines of glue. Lou has created blue borders around all of the yellow pieces of paper on her page.

3. To create co-ordinating alphas to use on your layout simply paint with acrylic paint and to add that extra dimension coat with a layer of glossy accents. You can use this technique on any chipboard alpha's which is a great way of using up all those odd letters that you have left. For a slightly different look try adding a sprinkling of embossing powder over the acrylic paint.

4. Use embossing powders with your stamps, stamp the image using a versamark stamp pad or something similar. Sprinkle embossing powder carefully over the stamped image and remove the excess, apply heat to melt the powders.

There is a great range of embossing powders over in the shop including metallic, flourescent and glitter if you fancy having a play plus an extensive collection of paint dabbers.

Cheeky Boy

A lot of scrappers are a bit cautious of using paint and embossing powders on their pages in case it doesn't go quite right, I know I am! Lou has created this great page where you can have a go at using both paint and powders before you actually add your photos and patterned papers.

You will need....
Fancy Pants Like Father Like Son papers
Alphabet stickers
American Crafts Zing Embossing Powder
Black Pen
White Cardstock
Acrylic Paint
Spray Bottle

How To....
1. Spray a sheet of white cardstock with watered down acrylic paint.
2. Add your title to the bottom of the page using a mixture of letter stickers to vary the font.
3. Sprinkle the zing embossing powder over the title and lightly around the edge of the cardstock.
4. Use a heatgun to melt the powder but apply the heat from underneath the page, this stops the powder from being blown around the layout.
5. Once the zing was completely dry peel off the stickers and use a black fine pen to outline the letters.
6. Because the background is so busy keep the use of patterned paper to a minimum, cut the stars out of the cards for the top left corner, and use strips of patterned paper to create a photo mat.
7. Add your journalling.
8. Machine stitch around the photo and around the edge of the LO in black to tie in with the black pen used for the journalling.

Pop back later in the week for more ideas of how you can use embossing powders on your scrapbook page.

Twitterpated

I don't know what the weather is like where you are but there isn't much sunshine down here at the moment so I thought we could do with some lovely sunny pages to look at. Jen has been busy with some Pebbles Twitterpated papers and has created these two bright, fun pages.

You are my sunshine - "A great way to use up scraps is to layer them all up behind a photo. Here I took a whole pile of my scraps and cut them into strips - I literally scattered them on the page to get a random effect, and just played around with a few to avoid 3 yellows next to each other, or all the dotty strips together. Backing the photos onto plain card and lifting it from the page with foam squares helps the pictures stand out from the busy background. Keeping the main layout background white also keeps everything looking clean rather than cluttered."
Yum, cupcakes! - "I couldn't resist pairing this photo from a recent tea party with this gorgeous Hambly transparency - they match perfectly! I do love transparencies, but I often struggle to use the heavily patterned ones - this one worked best layered over a plain, pale colour (although it also looked quite appealing with pink behind it). Because the picture and the transparency do most of the talking on this page, it didn't need many more embellishments - I simply added some tabs for information, and a couple of finishing touches to the 'white' space on the photo itself."

Dear Lizzie Purse

Do you fancy creating something a little bit different using your scrapbooking stash? Louise has made this amazing little purse for her daughter using some Dear Lizzie fabric paper.

You Will Need......
Dear Lizzy Fabric paper, ribbon and brad
Thread
Double sided tape
Zip

How To....
1. Cut a circle from the fabric paper. The outside circle should be twice the length of your zip.

2. Fold the paper in half and stick one edge of the zip around half the circle edge. This will hold the zip in place while you stitch them together.
3. Repeat with the other half.

4. Cut another slightly smaller circle than the first from the fabric paper, peel off the backing and stick it to the centre of the purse lining it.

5. Make a ribbon flower by stitching along one edge of a 10cm length of ribbon, and gather the ribbon tightly on the thread.

6. Secure the flower onthe front of the purse with a Brad.

We hope you enjoy having a go at creating this, if you don't mind sharing we would love to see your finished purses, just post a link in the comments box.

Summer Challenge

Are you up for summery challenge? Hopefully lots of you have enjoyed at least some good weather over the last few weeks and have been able to get out and take some lovely summery photos ready to use on your scrapbook pages. Our challenge to you this month is very simple, create a summery page and include distressing in some form. To enter the challenge all you have to do is post a link to your page in the comments box or email your entry across to sarah@sarahscardsltd.com by the 13th September. You could win a £10 e-voucher and the chance to join the design team in creating an example layout for the October challenge.
The design team have put together a few example layouts and have been joined by Mandy who won last months challenge.
Mandy has created this stunning layout , she has painted the chipboard title "shine" and then distressed it by sanding over the top and adding some ink.
Rachel

Rachael

Gems
Louise

We are looking forward to seeing what you create, I hope you enjoy the challenge.

Sketch Challenge Winner

Thank you to everyone who took part in the July sketch challenge, we have really enjoyed seeing the different interpretations of Lou's sketch. There could only be one winner and all of the design team agreed that this months winner had to be Lesley with this lovely bright summery page. Well done Lesley, drop us a line and we will get your £10 e-voucher to you and give you details of the challenge for September.
If you fancy taking part in our next challenge then check back tomorrow when we will reveal what our August challenge will be.

10 minute layout

Time is often short but especially so during the summer holidays when the children are around so Rachel has come up with a quick 10 minute class using Cosmo Cricket Material Girl papers.


Other Stash Used..
Border punch
Thickers

1-Take a sheet of 12x12 paper, cut a co-ordinating piece to 6"x 5"
2- Take a piece of kraft and cut it 5"x 3" punch a scalloped border along the bottom.
3- Cut another piece of patterned paper to 4"x 3"
4- Stick down what you have so far
5- Add a journalling card
6- Print off a photo to 5"x 5"
7- Add a punched tab to the top corner.
8- Add your title.

We would love to see your interpretations of Rachel's class, just pop a link to your page in the comments box.

Games With Grandma.

A while ago we showed you a page that Vanessa created using Bella Blvd Man of The House papers. Well here is another one!

Butterfly Class

It can be hard trying to find different ways to add that little something extra to your layouts. Lou has created these fantastic butterfly embellishments which look stunning and are so simple to make. Here's how......
1. Draw a number 8 onto your patterned paper and cut it out.
2. Using a ruler and an embossing tool score lines horizontally across your number 8, close together about every 2-3mm.
3. Concertina your number 8.

4. Squeeze the centre of the butterfly together tightly and use some craft wire to hold it together. Curl the ends of the wire to form the antenna.

Don't forget you still have until the 9th August to enter our sketch challenge, all the details can be found here.

Right Now.

Here is the last of Nats stunning pages that she has created using Bella Blvd Estate Sale papers.

Sarah and Lianne are now back from CHA so keep an eye on the coming soon section in the shop for the new CHA releases.