Soft Pastels for Christmas..

Hi everyone,
I am supposed to be working on those "have to get done" layouts with a deadline quickly looming but I just can't seem to find the mojo needed for these sorts of projects. Do you ever find this happening to you?
So I find sometimes it is better just to move away from those projects and create something completely unnecessary or even a challenge.
So this is what I did! I saw this gorgeous ( yep I know not me at all) pastel mood board on the Jot Magazine blog. So I gave it a go and  yes this is  my first layout done for christmas!

So I have been inspired not only by the christmas theme but the circles of colours, the sparkles and the prettiness.

So now it's back to try and meet these deadlines!!! Thanks for stoppping by!
Eb x

Nearly here...

Well I know it is nearly Christmas and finding time to get messy and creative can be tricky, but I really wanted to share one of my layouts I have created using this month's "A piece of cake designs Cupcake kit". I LOVE this kit...the colours the patterns and especially the gelato and spray bottle. What awesome value this kit is and so versatile!

I wanted to show you a layout using the gelato and the misting bottle. I apologise that I didn't take any progressive photos but here is my layout and an idea to use the gelato and water.

One way you can create interesting backgrounds with gelatos is o use them like a crayon and scribble onto some white cardstock. I use one colour at a time and then with the spray bottle apply some water. You can use your finger or a brush to slightly blend the colour, but still leave enough of your scribbled lines showing. I also often tip my page up so that some of the wet colour dribbles down and around my cardstock.

You can see here the different gelato scribble lines.

Now I have to admit that I am lucky to have a few different gelato colours in my stash so I have also used "snow cone" which is an aqua colour gelato and I have also scribbled with it .

Once you have done this effect with two or more colours you can then spray and dribble some yellow mist over the top randomly. I have used a Tattered angels "Twinkle yellow" mist and then I have used a "Mr Huey's" custard mist  and a Tattered angel Patina mist to draw lines amongst my gelatos using their nozzles.

The rest of the background is using various stamps and masks and some doodling with a permaball pen.

Once my background was done I cut up some of the awesome papers in the kit into various sized squares.

I then added some strips of the papers ( which are actually the cut off strips from the papers!) and some washi tape, some from the kit and some from my stash. I added some of the awesome sticker elements and word stickers from the kit and then coloured the alphabet black with a sharpie for my title! 

One boyish layout complete but you could easily do a feminine version with the other papers in the kit! 

Have fun creating and I hope you all have a very merry Christmas!!!

Eb x

I told you....

Well I did tell you that you would start to see some "2Crafty Chipboard" on my layouts so here you go!
I decided to give this month's challenge at "Scrap the Girls" a go which was to create a multiple photo layout using at least 3 photos. ( sorry photo  bit blurry :( )
So here you go! 3 photos...check!

                                 These gorgeous leaves and circles are both made by "2 Crafty".
                                                   You can find them here and here....

I will be back again tomorrow with a layout created using the latest "Cupcake kit" from "A piece of cake designs".

Eb xxx

New DT!

Hi everyone!
I just popped by quickly to share some news with you.
Earlier this year I was asked if I would be interested in being a resident guest designer for 2 Crafty Chipboard!
You can read the announcement here!

I am very happy to be working alongside some extremely talented ladies!

      So you will be seeing lot's of their awesome designs popping up in my creations very soon!

The best things in life are free

Hi again! I'm back to share another layout using this month's 'Cupcake kit".
I took this photo of my children one spring day playing in a handmade, thrown together cubby at the front of our house! They spent hours out there together, listening to music, chatting and laughing! It really did remind me that it is the Simple things in life that are often the most cherished moments but we sometimes forget to just scrap these times. So this layout is about doing just that.....

 I began this layout with machine stitching . I sewed a circle and lots of random lines beside it but it is hard to see now as I ended up covering most of them up !!!
I then used some watercolour paints from a previous kit and some water to create a watermark effect on my cardstock which I covered with gesso first. The Gesso stops the paper warping as much I have discovered and the paint sits much better on it rather than soaking straight into the paper.
This layout would be great for using your off cuts of papers or your little scraps as I just used different squares/rectangles of the different patterned papers in the kit. No real pattern or theme in mind!

Once my background was done I added in some white patterned tissue paper form my stash ( it is a Christy Tomlinson Pink Paislee one).

I then added my squares and rectangles of patterned papers and also some sticker elements from the "Pebbles Inc" sticker sheet. I rubbed a light coat of gesso over these as well just to give it a worn look. 

Once again I have used the splatter stamp with the grey  and aqua chalk inks to add some stamping to my page, as well as the "glitz Design" roller stamp from a previous kit.

The frame was painted with watercoloured paint to match the colours in my layout and placed over my photo. 

I have used some sticker words from my own supplies and the "Heidi swapp" buzz word is too from my own supplies. 

Add in some doodling. some washi tape and some wooden veneer stars and you have another layout!

 Thanks for popping by. Hope you are enjoying your kit and looking forward to the next one!!!

Eb xx

Exclusive APOCD wooden veneer frame :)

 Back again to share a layout with you once again using this month's "Cupcake kit".
This layout features the exclusive wooden veneers that Raquel was clever enough to design exclusively for "A piece of cake designs". I love it!!!

I have used it to add extra layers behind my photo but you could also use it as the photo matt itself.

I have also used from the kit a variety of the patterned papers which I have torn into various sizes and shapes and adhered to a white background mixed with some old dictionary paper and some white patterned tissue paper.. I then covered with some gesso.

Next I have added in some stamping with the awesome splatter stamp in the kit with the gorgeous grey chalk ink pad also from this months kit. I have also used the aqua chalk ink from a previous kit with the same stamp!. Other stamping includes some hearts ( hero arts Stamp) , the arrow by Technique Tuesday and the circle one is a cocoa daisy stamp. 

Once this was done I took some element stickers from the "Pebbles Inc" sticker sheet in the kit and added  as embellishments on my page.

Add in some washi tape both from the kit and my own supplies and splatter some paint and there you have another layout created with an awesome , versatile kit!!!

I have added in some wooden veneer shapes and some sticker words from my own stash too!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Back soon! Eb x