2 New Cards....

This is the last of these for the time being...

This was fun to make as I got to put a load of random bits together.

Cardstock by American Crafts Neapolitan stack!

This has been a power post! Lol! Normal transmission shall be resumed shortly!!!
Thanks for stopping by!!!
Have a craft-tastic weekend!
Jak

Really?....

Ok, so this is a quickie I put together this avo inbetween doing a hundred other things - Sundays are always my busiest days! I used a pre-scored card from a cardmaking pad I got from TK Maxx which seems to be where I get the majority of my cardstock and papers these days as it's always much cheaper than everywhere else. Also I like that they stock random brands that are not seen in my local stores! With TK's too, once it's gone, it's gone! I raided the offcuts box for coordinating patterns. You know, I seem to spend so much time in this box that it got me wondering whether I should just chop up all my 12x12 papers and dump them in the box just so I can get round to using them!!! Even after all these years of crafting, there's still a kind of "blank canvas syndrome " that comes over me when confronted with an untouched 12x12!!!! I found a cute little illustration in an old Bedtime Story book that I like to filch from - it just totally went with the sentiment and just added that little bit of interest !!! Done!!! Job's a good 'un!!!

Cute little illustration from Richard Scarry's Bedtime Book Of 365 Stories, circa the late 1960's I think!

Enjoy what's left of your weekend
everyone!

Love, Jak

xxx

Another card...

I put this one together quickly - in fact I was lucky to rescue my diecut from a horrible, whiskery cat chewed demise as Pablo has been obsessively pacing across my crafting table trying to steal them! He seems to think 12x12 papers are for sitting on and all diecuts and trimmings are his to eat!!! He's such a naughty kitty! I'm sure he can hear me crafting even when he's out in the garden - all of a sudden he starts scratching at the door to come in just so he can walk his muddy paws across my table... furry pest!

Gotta move quick before Pablo steals it!!!

I think I know why I like this card - it has bits hanging off the edges! I like how its not framed in by the edges of the card which makes it look like its quite relaxed and haphazard like its just designed itself. A casual card! Hey I might be on to something - I might explore this style a bit further!!!!

Have a happy crafty weekend peeps!

Love Jak

xxx

xxxxx Bad kitty!!! xxxxx

Time I made some cards...

... So, a week or so ago, I was having a little mooch around t'internet looking for something to inspire me. I knew I was going to design some files for cutting on my Silhouette but was looking more for a way of using these designs. To cut a long story short having indulged in designing some journaling cards and trellis type background bits and bobs it struck me that sentiments or rather a lack of them are a major sticking point for me when it comes to making cards so why not design some of those? The actual designs were quickly put together once I had "found the right typeface"! This aspect of design is the most laborious for me - it's something that is time consuming and even when you find the font you want to use, sometimes you find that the shapes of the letters don't actually work for the word you are using, so, then you have to go back to the drawing board and find something else. I usually find that Pacifico is a really flexible font because it joins up and can take a bit of pulling and stretching without too much distortion.
 

a quick card to see how the die cuts work in...

more sentiments...

Here is my first tryout incorporated into a greetings card. I'm pleased with how they diecuts have turned out especially as there is scope for all sorts of customisation...
Hopefully, if I get a bit of time, I will try the other ones too...
Thanks for popping by
Jak
xxx
PS. I love my Silhouette!

My Little Pony...

...is as popular as ever in our house and Sadie's MLP collection is still growing except now it's morphed into Equestria Girls (ponies that have taken on "human form")! Oh, anything to extort a bit more hard-earned cash form us poor parents! Anyway, a couple of years ago, when Sadie had just turned 7, she was at her Grandma's for the day and took her figurine collection along to play with. I think Grandma enjoyed playing with them as much as Sadie did! She took this photo of Sadie proudly setting them all out on display!

This main background paper is from American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan collection. I've brushed some pale blush coloured acrylic paint on it to add some interest to it then layered up some mismatched scraps keeping an eye on how the colours work together. I actually don't mind what's happening with the patterns (within reason!) as long as the colours come together. There's a diecut luggage tag and some diecut acetate too (Tim Holtz border die).

Close up of diecut acetate

Pretty twine bow with ornamental pins

I really enjoyed putting this page together as I was using up scraps of patterened paper, which is my favourite thing to do! It seems to focus my selection process which really speeds things up and cuts down on a lot of faffing and indeciscion!
   Try it! Have a look through your scraps of offcuts - select them by matching up like for like colour ways - three or four patterns at the most probably, (obviously they must compliment your photo) and see if you can work them into your layout. A plain or neutral background is always a good foundation to balance out the concentrated colour and pattern. That's where I seem to find myself starting these days then I embellish with what I've got - always going back to stuff I've picked up along the way. It's amazing what you can glean from old leftovers and unused bits from old random kits...
    As always, take time to enjoy the memories your chosen photos have stirred up - after all that's why we do this scrapping lark, no?

Thanks for your visit!
Happy Scrapping everyone
xxxx

Hello February!

What Feb already? At this rate it'll be summer before we know it!!! Well, here in Dundee we've really not had much snow this winter at all and all though I know it's not over yet, I would have liked a bit of proper snow this year to make up for getting none last year either. My partner and I were reminiscing about bygone Christmases when it was a really exciting gift to be given a sledge and you could guarantee that you would always get plenty of use out of it. These were proper sledges too - wooden with metal runners to go super fast!! I can still remember vividly, my dad taking me out in the dark when he got home from work to sledge and play in the snow... happy days! And how exactly this leads me in to a layout about Egypt, well who knows... Anyhoo, here's my latest offering -

All about Millie and her Egypt obsession...

King Tut close up!!

Embossed birdie!

This was put together using some papers I got from TKMaxx - they are from a stack called Recollections - The Sweetest Thing but as usual there are all sorts of extras added in there too! I was at a loss for Egyptian inspired embellishments so thats kinda where the idea for a bit of gold embossing came from. I like doing this kind of thing with embossing powder and rubber stamps and the beauty of this technique is if it goes wrong or doesn't turn out how you expect it to, you can just melt it back down to liquid and try again. I think I was on my third try before King Tut came out the way I liked it!! The gold bird is a straightforward stamping technique and luckily he fits in well with the Egyptian theme. I nearly did some hieroglyphic diecuts too but I thought that would be overkill. I live by the saying – "Just cos you can, doesn't mean you should!" – wise words I carry with me through all aspects of my life!!! Heehee!

Thankyou for coming by!
Happy crafting,
Jak xxx