What's in a Name...?

This is my latest LO - it started out as an SU-only layout, but then I got inspired!  It was perfect for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers, about the people we're named for, and I even handmade my rosette from scratch - no die I promise!
Anyway, everything's SU apart from the journaling card, which is MME, and lovely flocked Thickers to match the lush flocked papers :D  And the gorgeous young subject is my little little brother (not to be confused with my big little brother), when he was the pageboy at my wedding...

Have you had any LOs that started off one way and ended up another?  Have you blogged them?  Drop me a link or let me know, I'm always interested in hearing the stories behind creations!
Thanks for looking,
Leanne x

Counterfeit Kit & Collector's Diary...!

Finally, I finished my basic Collector's Diary, for the class over at Crafty Templates with lovely Leo :D

Firstly I drew inspiration from the Counterfeit Kit challenge and made myself a kit based around a patterned paper and some ribbons:

Then I used my altered binder technique learned from Chris, and old papers, ribbons, glubers, new pretty ribbon and gems, and LOTS of SU Ink, punches, etc. Oh and fell in love with tissue tape...!
The photographs are all taken with different light sources to try and bring out the true colour, but the miserable weather is NOT helping any:

 I'm especially proud of my handmade flowers and the punched embellishment in the last picture - loving the Authentique word stickers!

Now all I have to do is start following the class - what I'm going to do is make some sample pages as per the class guidelines, but then I can add to this over time - take out what doesn't inspire me any more, add in new techniques - I'm really looking forward to having an inspiration journal I'm proud of - and not a towering stack of mags and printouts I never read -thank you Leo!

Leanne x

Altered Binder...

I wanted to share a technique for making a great album or journal that I found whilst surfing the merry old internet the other day - all you need is an old binder and duct tape, and you can turn this:

into this:

over at my other blog: www.beautifulimpressions.co.uk

Give it a shot!

Leanne x

Credit for the basic idea to Scrapnanny x

Chic Chips & Spooky Stories...

Just a quick post to update on the chipboard swap from my previous post - I wanted to show off the selection that came home to me :D Thanks to everyone for their efforts!

Also, I wanted to show off what's off to Netty today for the Halloween Decoration Swap on UKS - I hope the recipients like them, they're not very glitzy for a banner I know, but I hope they go down ok!

Thanks for looking - anyone else made an early start on seasonal projects yet? Aren't we just so organised? ;)
Leanne x


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Decorated Chipboard...

As you can see I've just completed yet another swap - this time for Decorated Chipboard! I was really intrigued to see how they would be decorated and what shapes people would come up with, and how they might inspire a project rather than just decorate it...

Anyway, I only had the one die that could cut through chipboard - this lovely Stampin' Up! exclusive one that I ordered with my first discount :D so I decided to decorate it a bit like a bookplate of sorts, so that it might be able to complement the SMASHBook craze - especially for those making their own books :)  Of course they'll be able to use it as a normal embellishment too, a journalling spot, etc.

I used the Stampin' Up! Top Note die, Tea Stain Distress Ink (thank you Rachel!), generic chipboard, wooden dominoes from my LCS, Tim Holtz Film Reel, graph and lined paper by various companies, Prima printed tape, one of Tim Holtz' acrylic stamps for the ticket (thank you again Rachel!), Stampin' Up! permanent Snail adhesive, and Stampin' Up! kraft cardstock.

I can't wait to see what I'll get in return!

L x



Tip-In My Hat...

I've also waved  a fond farewell to the Tip In Swap pages - I really enjoyed working on these and hope everyone likes them - I wanted to give them the feeling that I'd drawn directly into their chosen book, so each pages was made with a background of relevant text, an appropriate image, and then hand-inked:
I was two groups - Group 3:

and Group 5:

I really hope people like them, I'm proud of them - havent done my own yet though, because I don't want to double up on quotes!

L x

August Tag Swap...

My first time hosting - how exciting! I set the UKS August Tag Swap theme of peridot + metal + inspired by oz, and here you go - the results of the August jury!

Group 1: nettyb, Kittycrafts, mistyrat, me, Kellmorris, and OLFRTAYL underneath

Group 2: Nerlly, KJJC, TinkerHamilton, with jainethepain and allyj50 below

Group 3: honeypip, RosieMac, cockneycrafter, Roxy52, funkymonkey, Weaselwise

I was impressed with the interpretations and the fact that they were all so different - well done everyone and a huge thank you for taking part!

L x

Urban Garden...

Just a quick post before I forget- these are my tags for the UKS June tag swap- theme of two, royal, and alexandrite...
It took a lot of reworking and testing - really leaky elbows! - but now I'm really, really pleased with it :D

Stamps: Tim Holtz
Gems: Sarah's Cards
Lace Trim: Prima
Velvet Ribbon: A Haberdasher
Velvet Lace: Anna Griffin
Ink, Paper, Card, Embossing Powder, Blossoms Punch, Bird on a Branch Punch, and Adhesives: Stampin' Up!

Thanks for looking- if you want any more info on the supplies please let me know :)
Leanne xxx


Sent from my iPhone

One Litle Word...

I read this post at the start of the year as I was trying to determine my word - Release, Less, Focus and many others vied for attention in my mind, until today (yes it's been a long process!)
Looking through it again and trying to find the one comment that stood out, I realised I had to CHOOSE, because I couldn't move on until I did.
I'm lucky to have a choice, and all this time I've been throwing it away and riding things out until it's too late, never acting on things, letting them pass me by, so:
I CHOOSE my family;
I CHOOSE my health;
I CHOOSE to select the things I love about my life and throw out what I don't - and then I will CHOOSE the new things I want in their places, not just accept things because they turn up;

I tell you what though - the oddest part that I can't get my head around yet is that I didn't really CHOOSE it - but it seems to have chosen me!

Diamonds...

Ta-dah! My tags for the UKS April Tag Swap, which I am chuffed to little mint balls about!

The required elements were bling, a crown, and the theme of 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend'... And with a theme like that it meant only one thing could take centre stage- the lovely Norma Jean!
I went for a look of a poster on a wall, adorned with bling and a graffiti-effect crown, accompanied by a photo-relevant quote from the song itself, and really hope i didn't miss!

I really do hope that my recipients like them... It was touch and go at one stage as it seemed LES (Leaky Elbow Syndrome) had struck- it just wasn't translating from brain to page- but I'm really pleased with my end result :D

Hope you're all getting the same feel-good factor this weekend!
L xxx